Spider Reborn
by AwesomeBex2000
Summary: Regina Davids is a high school student who is crushing on a boy by the name of Peter Parker. Her entire world gets turned upside down when she discovers his big secret and becomes acquainted with many of the other Avengers, as she faces challenges she has never had to before.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Regina P.O.V.

She glances up from her sketch to study her model for a few seconds before shading in some detail. Regina has decided lunch is her favorite class in school. Not that she doesn't enjoy learning, she does, and it's not that she's all about food. Her reason is what comes after eating, when Peter comes to sit with her in the empty classroom. They usually have about thirty minutes, and not to be cheesy or anything, but she loves every minute. Some days they talk. He tries to explain his science to her, and in return she talks about her art. Other days, a day like today, they hardly say a word, but it isn't uncomfortable as they work in silence. She puffs out the side of her cheek as she concentrates on perfecting how the hairs at the nape of his neck slightly curl.

Their moment together is interrupted when the chair beside Peter squeaks loudly as a girl with a flaming red hair scoots in close to him. Taking a deep breath, Regina quickly closes her sketchbook, hoping Mary Jane hadn't seen her finished drawing of Peter. She watches their encounter as if they forget she's even there.

"What are you working on?" His girlfriend asks.

"Just finishing up some homework." Peter replies, flashing her a smile before turning his full attention back to his equations.

The three lapse back into silence, although for Regina, it is now more awkward than before.

"Why don't you do this after school? Or when you're at home?" MJ's face puckers into an attractive pout.

"You know I have stuff to do, and besides, Regina needs someone to sit with her at lunch." He explains nonchalantly.

Regina watches as Mary Jane's eyes narrow the slightest bit and her lips purse into a frown. "Why doesn't Regina just get her own friends?"

Regina sighs. "She would if people took the time to understand her." She mutters under her breath. Glancing up at the clock on the wall lets her know that the lunch hour will be over in just a few minutes. Perhaps she should take her leave.

"Why don't you ever sit with me at lunch?" MJ is clearly offended that her own boyfriend doesn't sit by her side in public.

"I'll get going now." Regina interrupts them before Peter can respond, he turns his attention to her.

"Wait…"

"It's fine, lunch will be over soon anyway, I'll have some extra time to get to class." She shrugs, allowing her mouth to quirk up with a little side smile.

"O-okay." he watches her with worried eyes as she slips her sketchbook into her backpack.

"For the record, I do have friends." Regina stops to say to Mary Jane, then addressing Peter as she continues. "See you later Peter." And with that she walks out of the classroom. She almost hates to admit her farewell was a bit petty towards MJ. Though she guesses life isn't always fair, and people don't always get what they want. Especially when they know they never even had a chance to begin with.

As she leaves the classroom, she's intercepted by the friend she'd mentioned. "Hi! How was lunch? Has your relationship with him grown since yesterday?" Bria's blonde hair is done up in ringlets today, and they bounce up and down with her as she launches her questions excitedly.

Regina sighs, but she can't help but smile as Bria begins to walk down the hall with her. "Lunch was great, until the girlfriend decided to interrupt our alone time. I keep telling you, we aren't in a relationship like you're thinking."

Bria nods. "Oh I know. I stopped thinking that when I saw the girlfriend you always bring up holding hands with him." She whistles. "I'm surprised an awkward nerd like him was able to score such a pretty reporter like Mary Jane Watson."

"Normal teenagers date all the time." Regina reminds her.

"I'm just saying there has got to be some sort of bribery going on in that relationship. MJ is both pretty, and climbing the ranks to popularity with the articles she writes. There are many other more popular guys who would love to date her, and yet she settled on dating Peter Parker." Bria shrugs as if her logic makes total sense.

"Peter isn't as nerdy and unpopular as you're making him out to be." Regina snaps defensively. "There are plenty of other girls who would like to date him."

Bria winks knowingly at her. "Oh yeah? I'm sure you would know lots about some of them."

Regina rolls her eyes and laughs nervously. "I'm just saying, you could be wrong."

"But I could also be right. I don't think either of us will ever know." She sighs dramatically as the bell rings. "Well, gotta get to class!" She waves to Regina as she takes off down the opposite hall. Regina waves back as she makes her way to her art class.

Peter P.O.V.

Peter watches Regina disappear around the door. "I don't sit with you at lunch because you're always surrounded by people. I'm just an awkward nerd, remember?" His eyes linger on the doorway for a few more seconds before he turns to look at MJ.

Her mouth merges into a wide smile. "You're not just an awkward nerd, you're Spiderman!"

"Yeah but people can't know that. I don't want to be liked just because I'm a hero." Peter states softly.

"Come on, if you hung around a larger group of people, then you'd be less of a suspect when someone tries to find out Spiderman's identity."

"Your logic is flawed. The more I'm around larger groups of people, the more likely I'll be found out." Peter argues back, shuffling his homework around so it will fit into his school folder. He shoves it into his backpack just as the bell rings, signalling the end of lunch. MJ huffs following him out of the classroom, and into the crowded hall.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Peter's P.O.V.

After school, Peter meets up with MJ at his locker. She opens her mouth to ask the question she always asks, but he gives his response before he can ask it. "No I have to get to my internship." He calmly stuffs all his books from his locker into his bag, then slings it effortlessly onto his back.

MJ closes her mouth.

"Thanks for understanding! I'll see you tomorrow." Peter waves as he speeds up his walk to get out of the school.

"Yeah, see you." MJ mutters.

On his way out he sees Regina sitting on the far end of the staircase, out of sight from the other students as they leave. He approaches her quietly. She's holding her sketchbook, and her gaze is hard as she stares at the drawing on the page. He glances over her shoulder to see a graphic picture of what appears to be a metallic hero suit. Similar to the one Iron Man wears but different in color and design. On the side of the page it has lists of things the suit can or can't do, along with close up drawings of new and improved photon blasters and arc reactor. On the bottom is a list of comparisons and contrasts between the Iron Man suit and this suit.

"Wow that is really cool!" Peter says.

Regina jumps, practically leaps down the staircase before turning to look at him, her sketchbook clutched close to her chest to conceal the drawing. Her eyes are wide with alarm. "How long have you been standing there?" She demands.

Peter gulps and backs away nervously. "Long enough to read the notes on the page?"

Regina opens and closes her mouth a few times, as if she doesn't know what to say.

"Was that a recreation of Iron Man's suit?" Peter asks nonchalantly, hoping striking up a conversation will help break the tension.

A scarlet blush erupts across Regina's face. "N-no. Not quite." She replies weakly.

"I could tell that much just from the drawing. So what was that?" He steps down the few stairs to the sidewalk where Regina is standing.

"It-It's-" She starts to say but then jumps as Peter's phone starts to go off.

He glances at the screen to see Tony Stark's face. "I'm so sorry, I have to take this." He walks a few paces away from her, and slides the green answer button. "Hey, what's up?"

"Where are you?" Mr. Stark asks immediately, with no greeting.

"I'm still at school. I got caught up talking with Regi-uuhh… With a friend." Peter attempts to cover up her name, because if Mr. Stark finds out, he will hunt down her background, and he wants to keep her safe from his millionaire prying eyes.

There is a beat of silence on the other end. "Just get here fast." Is all Mr. Stark says before hanging up.

Peter sighs, and turns back to see Regina watching him. "Sorry, I have to get to my internship. I'll meet you tomorrow? Same place, same time?" He asks.

She nods, a small smile appearing for a few seconds before disappearing as if it hadn't been there in the first place. "Yeah sure."

Peter waves as he takes off in the opposite direction, heading for his bus stop. The ride to Avenger's Tower would have been boring, but his thoughts keep drifting back to Regina's version of an Iron Man suit. He knows she's an artist, but part of him didn't realize she's actually math and science smart too. He shakes his head in self-disappointment. He of all people should know there's more to people than what's seen on the surface. He's a science nerd by day and a superhero, also by day.

The bus bell chimes, signalling his stop and drawing him out of his thoughts. He gets off and then crosses the street to the Tower. In the elevator, he 'guesses' which floor the Iron Man will be located in and he begins his ascent. He reaches Mr. Stark's floor quickly.

"I'm home." He calls out as he enters, dropping his backpack on the couch as he passes into the kitchen.

"Hey kid!" Tony Stark calls from one of the other rooms.

"Hey dad, does it bother you that the world knows your identity?" Peter asks loudly as he rummages through the refrigerator.

"I've always been used to smiling for the camera, so no." His adoptive father says, entering the room. "But that doesn't mean you should tell everyone."

"I don't tell anyone. But if someone figures it out…" Peter shrugs his shoulders then bites into an apple.

"Are we talking about the same someone? Mary Jane Watson, the reporter?" Tony asks. He walks over to the couch and sits down on the other end, away from the seat Peter's backpack is occupying.

"She's the only person who knows." Peter sighs.

"And if you ask me, she is the most dangerous person who could know." His dad says.

"She's my girlfriend, isn't that what's supposed to happen? The hero dating the reporter so he can up his publicity?" Peter teases.

Tony raises an eyebrow, but chooses to ignore the comment. "So who is this Reggi person?"

Peter chokes on a piece of apple. Tony is quiet, seemingly allowing him to recover before demanding an answer. "She's just a friend." He blurts out before his brain can think of the consequences. He purses his lips together.

"Oh, so you have another lady friend then?"

"Come on, don't say it like that. I like MJ. She's my girlfriend. Reg-Reggie is just the girl I sit with at lunch, you know how I am around lots of people." Peter explains, hoping this will be enough to appease his father figure.

Tony stares at him, long enough to make him uncomfortable. "Okay then. I'll be in the lab for a little while today. You can come join me, or you can go out and do the Spiderman thing you do. Just make sure to get your homework done at some point." And with that Tony gets up and walks out.

"Wait, when will mom be home?" He asks before his dad gets too far.

"She'll be staying late at the office. Tonight and every night for the rest of the week. She says she has a new project, or something like that. So just be good while we're working." And then he disappears from the room.

Peter rolls his eyes, but he's secretly pleased. He likes having a father who genuinely cares about him. And the fact that his dad is also his idol is also a pretty good bonus.

He finishes his apple quickly, then throws the core away and grabs his bag in the same movement. Slipping into his bedroom he changes into the familiar red and blue suit that fits him so well.

Peter thinks back to the drawing again. Maybe he SHOULD introduce Reggie to Tony. Her notes and remastered version of the Iron Man suit will impress him. He doubles back, maybe he should also start calling her that. They are friends after all. He smiles and jumps out the window.

Regina P.O.V.

Regina is sitting in the usual empty classroom during the lunch hour. Alone, as Peter has yet to appear. She's thinking hard over the newest drawing she completed earlier this morning. Another recreation of the Iron Man suit, but more girly, just for the heck of it. It's rose gold and a pearl color, and is built more for speed than power. She doesn't want to lessen its abilities, and doesn't want her designs to get repetitive. She wants to stew over these thoughts, but someone interrupts.

"So you know how I have that Stark Internship?" Peter greets as he walks in.

"So the rumors say," Regina answers, glancing up from her suit design.

"Well, I was thinking I could take you with me after school today." Peter announces with a wide smile.

Her eyes widen. "Wait what?"

"I want to introduce you to Mr. Stark. Your suit designs are amazing, I think it would be cool if you showed some of them to him." As Peter continues his face becomes slightly shiny with sweat and his fingers begin to fiddle with one another.

"You decided this without asking me first?" Of course he hadn't asked her, she would have remembered that conversation.

"It's not really a decision, it's more of an invitation?" He replies weakly, his voice cracking in the way it does when he's nervous.

Regina sighs. "Have you talked it over with Mr. Stark?"

"No, but that won't be a problem." Peter waves a hand dismissively.

Regina quirks an eyebrow but doesn't question it, she zeroes in on a different detail instead. "You said 'suit designS'. Plural. What makes you think I have more than one?"

"I've noticed that you like to try and hide things, but I hate to break it to you, you're not very good at it."

Regina doubles back, just staring at him.

"You have one right in front of you." He points at the desk.

She glances down to see the new suit she had been thinking over moments before. "O-oh." Is all she manages to say.

He chuckles. "You're adorable."

She takes a deep breath to keep the blush from spiralling out of control.

Suddenly, MJ bursts into the room, grabbing his hand in one moment, and in the same breath, begins to speak. "Oh my gosh! You have to come with me! There's a huge news story happening right outside the school!" Squealing loudly she drags him out of the room.

"If you'd like to come with me, meet me where we were yesterday." He says quickly, before he's completely out of sight.

Regina shoves her sketchbook in her backpack and takes off after the couple. The halls are empty, except for a few stragglers, MJ and Peter are nowhere to be seen. On a whim she races down the hall and out the school doors at the end, where she finds a huge crowd of teenagers all chattering and yelling at each other. In the midst of all the noise, and squeezing her way through an unending maze, she stops in front of the group, where MJ is pacing back and forth obviously looking for something. She spots Bria among the crowd and moves to join her. Peter is standing off to the side, his gaze following her every move and yet his face is expressionless.

Regina watches him for a few seconds, he seems like the type of boy who would support his girlfriend in the middle of the fray, if that's what she wished, but instead he's not doing anything. She glances back over at MJ who's looking frustrated.

"I swear! There was something here!" She claims at the crowd.

"Yeah right!" One kid yells at her.

"You're just looking for attention." Another one snaps.

Regina huffs in disgust. Teenagers are so petty. She leans over to Bria. "What is going on here?"

"I don't know, I came with the rest of the crowd, but there's nothing here…" Bria glances around confused.

Another commotion draws her attention as a teacher squeezes his way through the crowd to join the students at the front. "Everyone calm down. Go back to class, there is no spectacle to see. Miss Watson, I expect you to go see the principle." Mr. Thompson claps to get everyone's attention.

The crowd of expectant and non-believing kids disperses back into the school. The teacher waits for MJ to follow him.

"I really did see something." MJ whispers to Peter as she passes him.

"I believe you. But we'll talk about this later. For now, just play along with them." Peter hugs her briefly, then gently pushes her towards Mr. Thompson. She walks towards him and he escorts her back into the building.

Regina and Bria wait until Peter joins them.

"What was that all about?" Bria asks.

Peter shrugs. "No idea. And you are?"

"Oh! Hi, I'm Bria, Regina's best friend." She holds out her hand for Peter to shake.

"I'm Peter." He takes her hand, shakes it twice, then lets go.

"Oh I know. I've heard a lot about you. You're quite the popular guy with the ladies." Bria turns her head and winks at Regina.

Regina stares at her in panic.

Peter chuckles. "I wouldn't say that. I'm just your average science nerd. My girlfriend and my friends are all I need."

Regina watches him curiously. What friends? When he's not with MJ, he's with her. Unless he's talking about friends he has outside of the school zone. Regina doesn't make it a habit to pry into people's personal lives if they don't offer up the information.

"Well that's good to hear." Bria giggles, but Regina knows she's filing his response in her brain for later conversation. "Anyway, it was nice to meet you, but I've got to get to class now. Talk to you later Regina!" She waves at the two of them as she makes her way back inside.

Regina smiles and waves back, but internally she's planning ways to evade her friend for the next twenty four hours. She doesn't want to talk anymore about the relationship between Peter and MJ. When she's back inside, she turns her attention back to Peter.

"What does she think she saw?" She asks him softly.

Peter glances up at the doors, as if to ensure no one is watching or listening, before leaning in close to her. "Don't tell anyone, but she says there was a puddle."

Regina looks at him incredulously before bursting into laugher. Peter cracks a smile and chuckles as well.

"Do you believe her?" She asks.

Peter pauses. "Yeah, I kind of do." He admits.

"Why? There is no evidence. There's no sign of a puddle. There is nothing here." Regina states, gesturing at the sidewalk in front of them.

Peter sighs. "I'm not saying this just because she's my girlfriend, Reggie. I have other reasons to believe she really did see something." His face takes on a serious expression.

"What reasons?" She inquires.

He looks away from her. "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you."

Regina's heart lurches painfully in her chest. Does he not trust her? She's not his girlfriend, but she's his close friend. She knows more about him than MJ does. Or does she? Maybe it's something he really can't tell her. Maybe she's just overthinking. She decides to change the subject.

"What did you just call me? She demands.

He pauses, thinking back to what he had said. She sees the realization dawn on his face. He blushes. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I was talking about you to my dad, but I didn't want to give your full name because he's kind of over-the-top, and so I just shortened your name to not give anything away." He rushes to explain.

Regina purses her lips, hoping to keep the pleased smile from showing. He talks to his dad about her? "You know what? I'm feeling very adventurous. I think I will go with you today."

"Great! I'll see you later then. We'd better get to class." He gestures for her to follow him, and they walk back into the school.

They part ways at a hallway intersection, the only words between them being a silent glance before they turn their backs on each other. Regina returns to her classroom, Mr. Halem doesn't even look in her direction as she slips in and to the back of the room where her seat is located. She can hear the judgmental whispers of her classmates around her. Both of her, and of the spectacle MJ had made. A puddle? MJ isn't someone who would stoop that low for attention, she must have really seen something. Regina shakes her head. She isn't taking the wannabe reporter's side, she just notices more than people realize.

One and half classes later, school is out and Regina races to the staircase she always sits at afterschool, though this time, she isn't going to stay there, and that excites her even more. After a few minutes, and many groups of kids, Peter steps outside, and he's holding hands with MJ.

Regina tries to ignore the lurch in her chest as she backs away, hoping she's out of sight enough to not be noticed by the couple.

"You know I have the Stark Internship today, but my Saturday is free. I promise we'll do something together." He's saying.

"Really?" MJ asks, sounding doubtful.

"Look, I know I've been busy, but I'm trying here. I will make time for you, if you'll wait for me?" He asks hopefully.

MJ seems to hesitate for a moment as she looks Peter in the eye. He's giving her the soft look, the one similar to that of a puppy.

"Okay." She finally gives in to his gaze. "Your place this time?"

Regina notices at Peter's eyes tighten at the comment. "Your place is much more interesting, and the location is great! There are so many things we can do, and they're all a mere walking distance away!" He exclaims as he tugs on her arm, pulling her closer to him. "Anyways, I've got to go. I'll text you later, okay?"

She nods as he leans in to place a quick kiss on her lips. She smiles softly at him as she lets go of his hand and walks away, quickly walking out of sight.

Peter sighs and glances around, searching for something.

Regina stays still, wondering if this is something she should really be doing. They're friends, but it sounds like even MJ hasn't gone with him to his internship.

"Reggie?" Him calling her name draws her out of her thoughts.

"I'm right here." She replies as she steps out of her not really hiding position.

He smiles at her. "Great! I'm glad you decided to come. Mr. Stark is going to love you."

She hesitates before saying. "Is it me he's going to love, or the work I've created?"

Peter considers this as he walks over to her. "A little bit of both, I think."

"Has he met MJ yet?" Regina asks before she can stop herself.

Peter shakes his head slightly. "No,that's something I can't do for her, because of who she is. She's a reporter, always looking for scoops and stories. I can't just introduce her the one of the world's heroes." He gestures that they should start walking.

Regina falls into step beside him. "And yet you can set up a meeting for me." She states doubtfully.

"You're special. You turned his own original design into something cool, and yet still practical. I think that's something he'd want to see."

She doesn't reply. Saying things like that to her really isn't fair. He's not hers, and she needs to stop thinking he's going to be. He's in a happy relationship with someone more popular and charismatic than your typical silent art student in the background.


	3. Chapter 3

Regina's P.O.V.

They walk in silence for a while. The quiet between them then ensues when they stop to wait at the bus stop, and even when they board the bus. Until Peter breaks it again.

"Is that what you do in your free time?" He asks, bringing up the suits.

"Sometimes."

"What other things do you do?"

"Art is my main passion."

"But you also know the science and mechanics behind the original Iron Man design." He leans towards her, as if hoping she'd explain how she did it.

"I guess I do know a thing or two about other subjects." She shrugs.

"Have you considered designing new suits for any of the other Avengers?" He suddenly asks.

She raises an eyebrow. "Why would I?"

"Why did you decide to use the Iron Man suit design? There are other Avengers with suits that have different abilities. Ant-Man, Falcon, War Machine, Black Panther. There are so many things you could do with that!" Peter explains excitedly.

Regina tilts her head in consideration. "I guess you have a good point. I'm not exactly sure why I decided to perfect only Tony Starks design. Although, maybe part of it is the different sciences that go into what the other suits can do. I don't specialize in heavy weaponry or vials of liquid that can shrink and grow a man with just the press of a button."

"What about the Black Panther suit?" Peter reminds her.

"That by itself is a higher technology. I don't think Tony Stark himself could figure that one out. The only thing he's been able to make even out of the same material is a simple shield."

Peter nods in understanding. Regina allows a small smile onto her face. It's not everyday one meets someone who understands what it is they do.

"You know who you should design a suit for?" Peter's facial features narrow into a smirk.

"Who?" She asks.

"Spiderman."

Regina stares at him for a few seconds. "Why should I do that?"

His confident smirk fades. "W-well…"

"Is he considered an Avenger now? Is that why you brought him up?" Regina wonders, though her questioning trails off as she watches his face fall. She immediately thinks back to what she was saying. Did it come across as too harsh? Too sarcastic? "D-did I say something wrong?" She inquires softly.

His eyes don't rise to meet hers as he shakes his head. "No, no, you're right. He's not really an avenger."

Drops her gaze, and they fall back into silence. The bus ride is long, and by the time they reach the stop Peter nudges her to get off at, she's a little bit stiff and tired. Even when she's drawing she gets up to walk around every once in a while.

As the bus drives away, Regina is hit with the full force of what is happening. She's at Avenger Tower, with the guy she likes, about to meet the man who invented the suit she reinvented.

"Come on." He once again draws her out of her thoughts and they cross the busy street together. Her steps falter a bit, the closer they get to the enormous tower, and she falls a few paces behind. He waits for her before stepping into the elevator. With a press of a button, she is met with the familiar rush of the elevator speeding up.

"Don't psych yourself out. He may be really smart, and really famous, but he's still just a regular man."

She nods, while that is comforting, she's still freaking out a little on the inside. She doesn't pay attention as the elevator just keeps climbing floors. When the elevator finally stops, she glances up to see they're getting out at Floor 79.

"How many floors does this Tower have?" She mumbles under her breath.

"Almost one hundred." Peter responds to her mutterings.

She purses her lips, embarrassed that he heard her.

"Mr. Stark, we're here." Peter calls out as they enter into what looks like a very clean and expensive mechanic shop. Regina glances around at some of the inventions sitting on tables. On one it seems to be dedicated to The Avengers. There is an unfinished silver shield, a few pieces of a metallic body, and a pretty amazing spread of weapons. On another table is an impressive looking computer.

"We?" A man's voice asks from somewhere nearby. Regina follows as Peter steps forward in search of the voice. Soon, the dark haired man comes into view a few tables back. He looks up as the teenagers approach.

"Oh Kid, is this your other lady friend? Reggie I presume?" He glances over at Regina. "What is that short for? Reginald?"

She scoffs in response, but inside something clicks. 'I was talking about you to my dad, but I didn't want to give your full name because he's kind of over-the-top' Peter had said. Glances between Mr. Stark and Peter. They don't look like they're related… But that doesn't mean they aren't connected in that familyar way.

"Don't tell him your name." Peter warns.

She hesitates, just for a moment. "It's just Reggie. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stark. I must admit I have heard quite a bit about you."

"The pleasure is all mine. I haven't heard anything about you, and yet here we are." Tony holds out his hand, and Regina steps forward to shake it firmly. "You know, it is only polite to introduce yourself fully when first meeting someone."

"Excuse my boldness, sir, but that is something I cannot do. My reasons being that Peter asked me not to share my name, and you didn't introduce yourself as such, so why should I?"

Tony nods. "Fair enough. Let's play a game then, shall we?"

Regina studies him curiously. "What game?"

"If I win, you tell me your name." He avoids her question.

She places her hands on her hips. "What do I get if I win?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." Tony waves his hand dismissively. "Do we have a deal?"

Regina turns to look at Peter. He shrugs. "Once he wants something, there's not much you can do to stop him from getting it."

"Fine, I accept." She states calmly, staring him straight in the eye. Though on the inside she's wondering what he could possibly want from a stupid game with a teenager he just met.

One of his eyebrows raises in unbelief, but then Peter changes the subject. "I brought her because I want to show you something.

Regina stares at her feet, suddenly embarrassed about her designs, now that she's come face to face with the original mastermind. She makes no move to retrieve her book.

"Go on, show him your designs." Peter nudges her side.

She sighs, hesitating for a long minute, but removes her backpack and takes out her sketchbook. She flips it open to the very first design Peter saw yesterday. This suit is purple and gold, and instead of simply shooting photon blasts, the gloves have an attachment that disintegrates whatever it touches, and turns it into energy, which the suit can then use to blast. "They aren't very good, and may not be very accurate either. But I did my best with what I know." She mutters.

Tony glances down at the design, but that's all it is. "Different color schemes? Not really my shot of whiskey. See, Raegan, something you may not understand, is I actually create things here, not just play with pretty colors."

Regina blinks, shocked and a little hurt that he didn't even give her a chance. He really is just rich and selfish like many of the news articles state. She smiles, but its tight and forced. "There is no diversity in your work, Mr. Stark. Everything is the same, save for the smallest of differences. And my name isn't Raegan." She can't believe she just said that to one of the most powerful men in the world. She internally whacks herself over the head with her sketchbook.

Tony shoots a look at Peter, who raises his hands and backs away, shaking his head. "I am not touching this conversation with a ten foot pole."

"Okay, Regis-"

"Nice try, but nope." Regina interrupts him, becoming slightly annoyed with how he's treating her. Is this his battle strategy? Ridiculous guessing until she finally gives in?

Tony huffs and yanks her artbook out of her hands. "Lets see if you could do it any better." His eyes narrow as he studies the words on the side of the page. When he's finished reading, he slowly looks back up at Regina, who folds her arms and tilts her head, waiting for the next quip.

He opens his mouth, closes it. Then opens it again. "How did you come up with this suit?"

Regina shrugs. "I put the idea together intending for this suit to be better than yours." She states.

Peter snorts, and out of the corner of her eye she sees him covering his mouth, looking like he's trying to refrain from laughing out loud.

"The idea is flawed, but it is genius." Tony admits.

"See? I told you he'd like to see your designs." Peter interjects, and he still sounds like he's trying not to laugh.

Regina frowns in his direction. "But what you didn't say is that he'd be so self-important as to make me use my womanly wiles, just to get him to read a few simple notes."

"Those are your womanly wiles? What do you look like when you flirt?" Tony asks.

"I don't." Regina states.

"Well, Regulus, do you have any other designs?"

"Try again. But yes, I do. I've played with some other ideas, and of course, I am an artist so each suit has its own color scheme to go along with its differing set of abilities." She explains, walking up to Tony Stark to flip the book to the next page.

He's silent as she points out each improvement and change she made to the original Iron Man suit design, as she slowly works towards making a single suit her very own.

"What are you, a Regional Manager?" He asks, once they reached the last suit in her sketchbook. She only had a few, about ten of them, one of which is her newest and isn't yet complete.

"Is that the best you could come up with?" Regina asks sarcastically.

Tony shrugs. "When I want to find information, I can find it. I don't need to play games with Little Missies with attitude problems."

Regina rolls her eyes. "And yet here you are playing games. Listen to me well, Tony Stark. If you steal any of my designs, I will find, and I will ruin you." She threatens in a low voice.

"Yeah, okay Regular Teenger." Tony closes her book and studies the shiny gold designs spiraling around the deep ruby set into the cover. He stares at it a little longer before handing it back to her.

"You seriously need to come up with better guesses." She sighs. "I will say this only once. My name is Regina Davids."

He smiles triumphantly, and that's when she realizes she just gave him exactly what he wanted. She just sighs and shakes her head.

"Okay then, Regina Davids, why don't you and I take a little walk around comparison park. You have shared with me some of your designs, now I will show you the real deal, rather than a simple drawing."

"Fair enough." Regina agrees to walk around to see his expensive toys. She follows him around his gallery. Each Mark is in it's own display case, standing taller than the average human, almost like a wax museum, but made of metal. She can definitely see the evolutions of the suit, as they walk from the very first one he ever built, clear through to the newest one he currently uses as the Iron Man Avenger. She stops at a few of the designs as they catch her attention, and he takes some time to explain the strengths and weaknesses of the suits she takes interest in.

"You refused to look at my designs because I 'play with pretty colors' and yet you have your own color schemes for each suit." She states when they stop at Mark XXVIII, out of the ones she's seen, this is one of her favorites. It is six feet tall and make up of orange and black gold-titanium plates, in a pattern that reminds her of a hornet.

"My colors are more practical, yours are more hippy flavor." He retaliates, before explaining the suit. "Codename: Jack. The armor type is a Radiation Zone suit, meaning it has radiation resistance. The weaponry consists of repulsors, a unibeam, and miniature missiles. Honesty, it doesn't have as advanced technology as the newer legion of suits I have in the works." And with that he walks on to the next suit.

"It's hard to believe you created all of these, just because of a few bits of scrap metal in your ribcage." Regina ponders out loud as she walks behind him.

"I figured if I was going to die in the end, I wasn't going down without a fight." Mr. Stark replies softly.

"I guess that makes sense. But you're obviously not dead, so why keep doing it?" She asks.

"Once a hero, always a hero. I've gotten too used to the praise, and having the world rely on my shoulders."

Regina doesn't respond, but she nods her head in acceptance of his answer. That's Tony Stark, the billionaire playboy narcissist.

They speak more about his suits, and when they reach the end, containing the newest model he's built, he turns their attention back to her sketched suit designs, like a conclusion to their comparisons of their different takes on the suit designs.

She doesn't actually know much about the actual mechanics and science behind the suits, she was never one for wires and grease, and wouldn't know how to build anything even if she tried. But she's stepping in the right direction with her simple drawn designs, and notes pertaining to the differences between the original iron man suit, and her visions of her own. She may never get to see them come to life, but at least she got Tony Stark to kind of admit that her designs are amazing..

Regina pulls out her phone to check the time, and finds it beginning to turn late evening. She's been here for hours, talking with Tony Stark, and getting up close looks at all of his Marks. "It's been a pleasure talking with you, Mr. Stark. Unfortunately, I must take my leave."

He holds out his hand and she shakes it twice. "Come by anytime, Reginald. I think I'd enjoy seeing more of those sketches of yours."

She rolls her eyes, but tells him she'll come visit sometime.

"Take the elevator up one floor. Peter should be there, have him escort you out." Mr. Stark instructs.

"Goodbye, Mr. Stark." She waves as she leaves the room and enters the elevator, by that time, he'd already engrossed himself in his 3D holographic notes.

She follows his instructions and steps into an expensive looking living area. She walks into a kitchen and living room. Peter is there lounging on the couch. His textbooks and homework are sprawled messily across the coffee table, and he has a sleek silver laptop across his legs.

She watches as he types something into the computer, then pops a potato chip into his mouth, and continues to his work as he chews.

She clears her throat, and laughs as he jumps, almost dropping is laptop.

He turns his head to look at her. "Oh, I didn't know you were here." He greets, sliding his laptop off his lap and onto his piles of books and papers. He brushes the chip crumbs from his jeans as he stands.

Regina's eyes narrow slightly. Is this what he does for his Stark Internship? Lounge around, doing the homework he already has done, while Tony shuts himself in his lab all day? That doesn't sound very professional. "Mr. Stark told me to get you to escort me out."

"Right. How was your meeting with him?"

"I didn't expect him to talk to me this long. Though to be honest, he's not my favorite person in the world." She replies, still thinking he's really self-centered as he walks her back to the elevator.

"I'm glad he took the time to listen to you. That in and of itself is a bit uncharacteristic of him, but I wanted him to at least give you a chance. The more you get to know him, the more he'll grow on you." Peter assures her.

"Are you sure you're not just saying that because you've idolized him since you were little?" Regina asks skeptically.

A smile spreads across his face and he shrugs.

He walks her back to the bus stop. "I'll see you tomorrow. Have a goodnight, Reggie"

"You too." She says simply, feeling a little lame as the bus pulls up and she climbs on. She turns and watches as he stands there until the bus is out of his sight, and he is out of hers.


	4. Chapter 4

Regina's P.O.V.

The bus drops her quite a few city blocks away from her house, so she starts on her walk back home. The sky is darkening quite a bit at this point. She lives alone in a single room apartment, with a small kitchen and living room space. She has no nice or expensive furniture, only the necessities, and she has enough food to get her by. She doesn't manage this on her own, though. Regina sighs as she thinks of her rich uncle who she assumes sends her enough money to live by for each month, this includes the housing expenses, groceries, other bills such as her cell phone, and any extra money she may need for clothes or school. She hates that he does this, since she doesn't really know him, and she has sent him many letters, emails, and calls telling him to stop. He doesn't answer, and the money keeps coming. She would rather get a job and find a way to make her own money, rather than relying on someone else. But she hasn't had any luck, no matter how many places she has sent applications to.

Regina turns the corner into an alley, hoping to cut through a few blocks to lessen her commute home by a few short minutes.

"Stop right there girly." A gruff voice demands behind her.

A chill races up her spine, and she suddenly has the feeling something bad is about to happen. She slowly turns around and gets a look at the man who belongs to the voice. His face is scruffy and riddled with scars. His head is covered by a black beanie, to match his black sweatshirt and jeans. There is one specific accessory to his ensemble that has all of Regina's attention riveted. The small pistol he has pointed right at her.

She swallows, and tries to steady her already shaking breathing. "C-can I help you, s-sir?" She tries her best to conceal the fear she feels, but a few minor slips of the tongue gives away just how scared she is.

The man laughs. "Did you hear that Jock? She's asking if she can help us."

Another, different chuckle sounds right in front of her and she twists back around to find another man, cutting off her access to the rest of the alley, he is dressed similarly to the first man, except instead of a gun, he as a bat. "I think you can help us, little missy. You see, we have a few missing items."

Regina has the sinking feeling she knows where this is going, yet she still attempts to put on the brave face. Maybe she can politely talk her way out of this situation. The small, nagging feeling at the back of her mind says this strategy won't work, but she tries anyway. "Really? That's so sad. What are these items? Maybe I can assist you in your search."

This elicits a few more chuckles from the two men. "Well, since you offer your services so freely. We're going to need everything you have on you." The man with the gun finally says, and Regina can hear the underlying 'or else' trailing off the end of his statement.

"I'm sorry, but that's something I can't do.. Maybe I can direct you somewhere else? There are many people who can help you find what you're looking for. The Police, maybe?" She offers up, hoping comes across as more brave, but it's obvious she's shaking.

"You said you'd help. No take backsies!" The man named Jock taunts as if he's speaking to a child.

She glances back and forth between the two men, trying to figure out which man she should pay more attention to, the one with the gun, or the one with the bat. She's expecting one of them to make some sort of advance against her. She knew ignoring her instinct would get her into even bigger trouble. That's what happens every time she does, she should have learned by now.

On her glance back to the Jock man, she sees him move his arm forward, swinging his bat towards her head. She has just enough time to drop into a crouch, in doing so pulls all of her attention to Jock.

A hand grabs at her wrist, pulling her up and yanking her backpack from her shoulders. The force causes her to stumble back, right into the brick wall of one of the buildings. She grits her teeth against the sudden pain in her shoulders.

"Well well, what do we have here. If I'm not mistaken by the looks of these books, we have ourselves a high school student." Sneers the man with the gun.

Jock walks up to her, swinging his baseball bat back over his shoulders, and sliding it across his back, where it stays as he reaches out to grasp her arms. He looks her up and down. "You don't look like you have anything of worth."

Regina frantically shakes her head. "I don't." She struggles to maneuver out of his hold, but his grip is too strong.

Jock puckers his lips in fake sympathy. "We'll see about that."

"Le-Let me go!" She demands.

"Keep struggling like that, and I'll hurt you more than I plan to." He threatens in a low voice, very different from the fake one he's been using.

She stops trying to get away, and instead just stands there shaking as he slides his hands down her arms as if he's searching for something. He slips the sleeves of her shirt up to check her wrists, then slips his hands into the pockets of her jeans. He pulls out her simple flip phone, but that's all he finds. He glares at her before turning to the other man, keeping his hand around her wrist so she can't run. "Find anything, Drew?"

Regina takes note of their names. She's not sure if they're their real names, but it's a start. She watches as Drew drops her backpack, but he's holding her sketchbook and wallet. The ruby in the center glints in the dim alley.

Jock turns back. "You lied to me." He says, in a mock hurt tone.

"No, really, that's just-" But her words at cut off as his fist punches into her gut. Pain radiates out across her abdomen, and she coughs, trying to regain her breath. It's no use though, as his other hand connects flat against her face, forcing her painfully to the ground as a numbing pain forms against her cheek and she sees white stars for a few seconds.

"Lets scram." Drew says, pocketing her wallet.

"Hold it, we have to get rid of the evidence." Jock stops him and takes the gun from his hand, aiming it right at Regina's head.

"Wait…" She rasps out.

Jock clicks the bullet into place.

Suddenly, shiny silver thread is winding around the weapon, and it's being yanked from his hand. "What the-?!" Jock starts to say, but the same thread is shot at his mouth, sealing it shut.

Regina squints, trying to look at it closer, to find that it appears to be a type of web. She almost sighs in relief as the man the web belongs to falls from the buildings above. Landing on his feet, he shoots another web at Jock, glueing him to the opposite wall. Drew races at Spiderman, arm raised and ready for impact, but Spiderman just ducks around him and webs him against the wall as well.

"Are you okay Reggie?" Spiderman asks as he crouches next to where she lay crumpled on the ground. He gently, but firmly takes her arm and pulls her into a sitting position.

Regina struggles to breathe, but his comment made her double back, and it feels like she just got punched in the gut all over again.. There are only two people who use that nickname, and she's pretty sure Tony Stark didn't decide to take up the red and blue spandex that is Spiderman. Which leaves only one other person. "Peter?" She asks softly, almost as if she hopes it isn't true.

The man in the suit leans toward her. "Yeah? What is it? Are you okay?" He asks, then waits for her to say something.

She feels as if all the breath has been knocked out of her yet again. "Oh my gosh. You're Spiderman." She shuffles away, pulling her arm away from his hand, her wide, shocked eyes staring at him.

Its then that the mask seems to take on an expression, as the man beneath it realizes what just happened. "No, no, no. Wait, I can explain!" He stutters, attempting to cover up his mistake, it's then that Regina really can hear the Peter behind the confident Spiderman facade. "You see, my civilian name is Peter… Parks."

A new feeling rises up in Regina's chest, mixing with the shock. Anger. "There's no point in trying to lie to me." She says, getting to her feet and still backing away. "I've already figured it out.

"B-but ho-how?"

"You're the only one who calls me Reggie. But that's not a name I'm going to answer to anymore, unless you explain to me what the heck all of this is." She states, before turning and taking off into a run. Leaving her backpack, and her sketchbook behind. She ignores the pain in her side until she feels she's far enough from that cursed alley, and far enough from the boy she had thought trusted her enough to share his life with her. She leans against the newer, cleaner brick wall of the alley she decides to rest in long enough to make it back to her apartment. She clutches at her side, and takes deep breaths to calm herself down.

After a few minutes, she pushes herself up and finds her way back home.

The next morning she wakes up in a world of pain. Her face, her torso, and one of her legs hurts, but she forces herself into a sitting position, and then out of bed. A look in her bathroom mirror shows her that her face is bruised and swollen, and when she lifts her shirt, her ribcage on her left side is also bruised. There are also some other minor scratches and bruises from when she hit the ground.

She shakes her head and walks back over to lay on her bed. There is no way she's going to school like this. But without her sketchbook or something else to do, she's left to her thoughts. The pain and trauma from being robbed. The hurt, shock, and anger, that the guy she considers her best friend, and her crush, is actually a superhero. That maybe she doesn't know as much about him as she thought she did. And yet, it is all in the little things that she notices, but hasn't put together. Why he doesn't go home with, or make any time for MJ, even though they've been dating for almost the whole school year. Why he brought up that she should draw a suit for Spiderman, and looked so hurt when she said he wasn't a real Avenger. Maybe that's how he was able to introduce her to Tony Stark too. Because he's a hero, and Tony made his suit. She's also convinced there is a family relationship going on there as well, but she doesn't want to ask Peter. She's not sure if he'd tell her the truth.

She sighs, and attempts to draw her mind to a blank.

Peter P.O.V.

It's been a few days since Reggie has been at school, and he's starting to get worried. Under normal circumstances he would have already thrown on his suit, made Karen track her down, and have gone to visit her, but after the terms she left on, he doesn't feel he has the right to do something like that. He glances at her backpack he's kept hanging in his locker, as he waits for her to come back. He pulls out her sketchbook and thumbs through a few of her drawings. She has a wide range of expertise. Some are landscapes. Some are simply doodles. Portrait drawings of people. There are a few drawings of him from different perspectives, and they are so like him he wonders if this is what she does during lunch. Then there are her suit designs, which always amaze him, no matter how many times he sees them. He slides Reggie's sketchbook back into her backpack just as MJ reaches his side and takes his hand.

On the other hand, MJ has been more than happy that he's sat with her at lunch for the past three days, and that he's been paying all his attention to her. This has been a little bit harder for Peter, since she still ignores him during the majority of lunch as she chatters with her other friends. When she does finally talk to him, they're on their way to class or leaving the building after school, and she only ever talks about her latest article, or about the news she's seen about him as Spiderman.

Her newest obsession is that the long lost Doctor Octavius has been sighted wandering around the city a few times. She tries to convince him to go after the man, that he must be up to something. But he just tells her no. He doesn't believe in attacking someone without a just cause.

He's beginning to notice she never talks about the real him, when he's not in the suit saving people. He's also beginning to notice his heart doesn't beat faster when she's around, and the warmth on his skin he used to get isn't there anymore, maybe this is normal, once a couple gets past the initial infatuation phase of the relationship. He considers this for a moment, before deciding it must be the case. He squeezes MJ's hand.

"Are we still on for Saturday?" She asks.

"Yes, of course. Don't worry, I have everything planned." He smiles down at her. He really doesn't. He's been too caught up in what happened to Reggie, he's hardly thought about the date he promised his girlfriend. Maybe she'll like something simple and quickly planned. They could take a walk around town, check out the new stores and stuff, maybe go out for a simple ice cream or hot dog from a street vendor. There, that's a good enough plan.

"Excuse me?" A light, polite voice asks, drawing Peter from his thoughts. He glances around to find that he and MJ are already outside, and there is a familiar blonde girl standing in front of him. Reggie had introduced them after the MJ drama a few days ago.

"Can I help you?" He asks.

"Yes. I'm Regina's friend if you don't remember who I am. She's been sick for the past three days, and she told me she accidentally left her backpack at school before she came down with whatever it is she has. She said to come to you and you could help me find it." She watches him with cool eyes, nothing like the perky, upbeat attitude she had when he first met her.

That must be the lie Reggie is telling everyone. She must still be in shock from her ordeal Monday night.

"Yes, I know where it is." He glances at his girlfriend nervously. She looks up at him with the usual frown that comes to her face whenever Reggie is brought up. "I'm sorry, I have to help her. Could you walk to your car yourself?" He asks.

She rolls her eyes. "You ask that like I'm incapable. I'll see you tomorrow." She huffs as she pulls her hand from his and walks away.

Peter turns back to Bria, who's expression hasn't changed. "Follow me."

He backtracks, leading her to his locker. He quickly turns the dial and pulls out Reggie's backpack, giving it to Bria.

"And everything is inside?" She asks suspiciously.

He nods. "That's exactly how I found it." Not entirely true. When he found it, he was in hero form. He made sure to grab her sketchbook from the alley, and also checked those guys' pockets for anything they might have taken from her. That's where he found her wallet.

She slings the backpack onto her shoulder over hers, turns, and walks away. Not a wave goodbye, or a thank you.

When Peter gets home, he finds Tony in his lab, as usual, studying some incomprehensible designs, and he's on the phone. He decides to listen in on the conversation.

"I really hate to say this, and you'd better not repeat this to anyone, ever, but I need your help on a new suit design I'm working on, and I'm going to need you here in New York within the next few days." Tony grows quiet as he listens to whoever is on the other line. "What if I told you the suit isn't for me?" This seems to be the factor that brings the other party into agreement, and with that, Tony hangs up.

Peter turns and sneaks out of his dad's lab, hurrying back to the elevator to get to their home floor.

The next day, Peter walks in to find Regina and her friend Bria standing next to her locker. A smile immediately flares onto his face as he raises his hand to greet her. Her eyes meet his for a split second, before she turns around and begins to make her way down the hall, away from him. His smile fades and he drops his arm.

"Good morning Peter!" MJ greets him brightly.

"Hey." He says, forcing a smile back, for her sake.

"Save anyone last night? How many villains did you face?" She asks excitedly.

"No, nothing interesting happened last night." Peter mumbled, dropping his smile once more, as a small twinge of annoyance at this particular topic MJ always brings up. "Look, I won't be sitting with you at lunch today, and I don't know if I'll see you after school. If I don't, I'll see you tomorrow." He says quickly, walking away before she can protest. He needs to fix his relationship with Reggie first. Though, he can't figure out why she's so important to him. Is it because she likes the real him, rather than just being his friend because he's also Spiderman?

He heads to class, but can hardly pay attention in any of his lectures, as he counts down the minutes until lunch.

When the bell finally rings, he's the first one out of the classroom and racing down the hall. It takes a few minutes to get back to the main halls from his science class, and when he finally does, he spots Regina walking towards the cafeteria, her friend at her side once again. He's never seen the blonde girl around her so much.

He takes a deep breath, rushing over to her, he grabs her hand.

She twists around in surprise and fear, but when she realizes it's him, she glares and tries to pull her hand away.

He begins to pull her down the hall to their empty classroom. His strong hold on her is relentless as she tries and tries again to remove her hand from his. He pushes her lightly into the classroom in front of him, then closes the door behind him, where he stays, blocking her exit.

The room is filled with tension for the few minutes they stand there rigidly, looking at each other. This is when Peter finally sees the beginning to yellow bruise across the right side of her face, and notices how her arms are folded across her stomach. Why did he not stop to realize how injured she was?

"Ho-how are you feeling?" He asks out of concern.

"I'm fine." She replies quickly.

Peter swallows. "Listen, I can explain-"

"Explain what, exactly? Are you going to feed me another lie like you did that night? I don't know if I can trust anything you say because you've been lying to me this whole time!" She snaps harshly.

Peter stares at her with wide eyes, before he too starts to get a little upset. "What do you mean this whole time?" He asks, though not as rough as she's accusing him. "I don't have to tell you my whole life story, or all of my secrets."

"I never said you had to spill all your guts to me, but when your immediate reflex is to sell me a lie when I obviously know the truth? That's a low I never thought you could reach."

"No one is supposed to know! It's called a 'Secret Identity' for a reason. I never know when someone is going to turn on me, or use me for my hero status." He states, frustrated that she's going on about how he's been lying, when all he did was try to protect himself.

Apparently, he said the wrong thing. "You really think I would do that to you?" She demands. "You really don't trust me at all."

Peter opens and closes his mouth, trying to fix yet another mistake. He sighs and rubs the back of his neck. He tries to calm down. "Look. You're my friend. My best friend. I've told more about myself to you, than I have to anyone else. All I wanted out of this friendship was someone who could be a friend for _me_. Rather than just liking me because I'm Spiderman." he pauses, quickly thinking over his next words as to not upset her even more. "I was trying to keep my identity a secret, to protect me, and to protect the people who are close to me. Yes, it's true, I don't know who will turn on me, but I also don't want anyone being used because they know who I am. That's why I kept it a secret."

She stares into his eyes for a long moment, before asking. "Does MJ know?"

He nods. "She figured it out just before we started dating."

"How do you know she's not using you, just because you're a hero?" Reggie asks, suddenly suspicious.

Peter pauses. "I don't know that. But she doesn't seem the type of person who would, otherwise she would have exposed me by now." Peter waves the question off, though a tiny part of him continues to consider that she might actually be right.

"I have a few more questions for you." She states.

Peter nods and gestures to two empty desks to sit at while they talk.

"Is your little hero act thing, the same as the Stark Internship?"

"Yes. Mr. Stark is the one who gives me my 'missions' I guess you could say. When there is a bigger battle, I team up with him and the other Avengers. Usually though, I'm on my own." He explains.

"Okay, then that leads into my next question. What all can you do?"

"I seem to just have enhanced physical abilities, like speed, strength, and agility. And it like my senses have been dialed up."

"How do you know when something bad happens, if you work alone?" She inquires.

"I guess that's something that comes with the other abilities. It's like I have an internal warning system that goes off when something is about to happen. I like to call it my 'Spidey-Sense.'" He taps the back of his neck.

She puckers her lips as if she finds that particular fact interesting, and then continues her interview. "Did Tony Stark make your suit, and what does it do?"

"Yes, he made it. I guess it's similar to the Iron Man suit in the sense that it has an A.I., her name is Karen, and has a whole bunch of cool tech attached, like my web shooters." His hands do the web shooting motions, with his middle fingers touching to his palm, and his pinky, forrefinger, and thumb positioned straight out.

"That was my next question. So I'll just move on. Is Tony Stark your dad?"

Peter's breathing hitches and his eyes widen in panic. She watches his reaction, and he figures she must know the answer just based on that. "How did you know?" He asks weakly.

She shrugs. "It wasn't hard to put together. You both used the same nickname, a nickname that no one has ever used for me before. Also your relationship seems a little too casual for him to just be your boss."

"To be honest, that's how I came up with the nickname. I accidentally brought you up when Tony called that day I discovered your designs, and he wouldn't leave me alone about it. I didn't want to give him your real name, because he's kind of a stalker." Peter admits.

"That's also how I found out you're Spiderman." She says. "You used the nickname then too."

Peter purses his lips at his mistake. "I see."

"You two don't look alike, and your last names are different…" Reggie ponders.

"He's not my real father. I'm adopted. I never really knew my parents, I was raised by my Uncle Ben and Aunt May, but they died in an accident. At that point, I was already Spiderman, and already had connections with Tony Stark, so he adopted me." He explains, allowing a soft smile to play at his mouth, as he remembers his past.

"How did you become Spiderman?"

"What, are you becoming a reporter too?" He asks teasingly.

She rolls her eyes. "That's not exactly my cup of tea. Reporters are just plain annoying. And I include your girlfriend in that statement, no offense."

Peter chuckles. "To answer your question, I was bitten by a radioactive spider."

She raises her eyebrows at him. Though he can't tell if she's surprised or disbelieving. "That's it? No accident? No superhuman chemicals? Just a spider bite?"

"Hey, I just said the spider was radioactive." He replies defensively.

"I know. I know. Last question. Can I really trust you?" She looks him right in the eyes, and he doesn't look away.

"That's up to you. I don't know what you're thinking or feeling. But I hope you know I never intended to hurt you, or lie to you." He hesitates. "I feel like MJ is more interested in the fact that I'm Spiderman, but she wouldn't be dating me if she didn't like the Peter part." He adds on, though part of him wonders if he's just trying to convince himself of that. "I guess I'm just worried that you'll like me because I'm Spiderman, or that you'll not like me now that you know I'm a cool hero, but also an awkward nerd."

She stares at him with a look that lets him know he's stupid, before saying, "Honestly Peter, you're weird either way. You've always been a nerd, with all your sciency stuff and equations I never understand, and now you have these strange abilities, which I also can't understand." Regina stands and paces a few steps around the room.

Peter groans and allows his head to fall into his folded arms. The next words she claims surprises him. "But I like you anyway. I'd like you even if you didn't have the powers that make you Spiderman."

He lifts his head and just stares at her, unable to make any words in his mouth, or in his head. He's dreamed of someone saying that to him for the past two years, and she just fulfilled that in a simple sentence, without any hesitation.


	5. Chapter 5

Regina P.O.V.

She takes a deep breath, then lets it all out, feeling immensely better after their talk. The lunch bell rang, and Peter had apologized for stealing her away from getting her lunch. She shrugged, and said she would find a way to sneakily eat some food in class. She also makes a mental side note to find Bria afterschool and explain what happened. She goes through the rest of her classes, with people still giving her weird looks. She knows it's because of the mark on her face, yet no one has asked her about it.

When the final bell finally rings, signalling the end of school for the weekend, she races towards her locker, fills it with her stuff, then continues on to hunt down Bria. Regina finds her just as she's closing her own locker. "Hey! I'm so sorry about lunch." She greets.

Bria eyes her for a second. "Are you going to explain to me what's going on? You were gone for three days, then you come back looking like death, and a whole bunch of drama with Peter ensues."

Regina nods her head, thinking that sounds like a pretty good summary. She gestures that they keep walking, and she begins to talk. "Peter took me to meet Tony Stark-"

"WHAT?!" Bria interrupts. "YOU met Tony Stark? The famous superhero Iron Man?" She asks incredulously.

Regina glares at her friend. "No need to say like you don't believe me, or like you think me of all people should get the chance to meet him."

Bria quickly backtracks. "Oh no no, that's not what I meant. I just find it cool, and a little bit unreal that my best friend knows someone famous."

Regina rolls her eyes. "Anyways, after I left to go home, I got mugged." She points to her face, and quickly taking a glance around she sees that all the teenagers around them are too engaged in conversation, or on their phones. She lifts her shirt to show the still black and blue bruise on her ribcage.

"Oh my gosh." Bria gasps, leaving her mouth wide open. There are very few things that can leave Bria speechless.

"I was saved by Spiderman." She quickly sums up, to finish the story and to reassure her friend.

"What?! You met Iron Man and Spiderman in the same day?"

"No. I met Tony Stark and Spiderman in the same day. I don't consider it meeting Iron Man until I actually come face to face with him in his suit."

"I guess that makes sense. So what was all the drama with Peter?" Bria veers back to her original question.

Regina purses her lips, trying to come up with a good enough lie that Bria will believe. Guilt shifts around in her stomach at the thought of lying to her best friend, but she needs to protect Peter's identity, and she can't do that if she tells the truth. "He felt bad about me getting attacked, he felt like it was his fault, since he didn't make sure I could get home safely." She explains slowly. "Right Peter?"

She timed her response perfectly, just as Peter and MJ are walking towards the doors. "Hmm?" He glances between the two girls.

"Regina was just explaining the drama that happened between you two." Bria states. "She said you felt bad that you couldn't get her home safely, and she ended up getting hurt."

Regina watches Peter's reaction, his eyebrows raise slightly as he looks at her out of the corner of his eye. "Yes that's right. And I still feel bad that it happened, that there was nothing I could do to help."

She smiles at the fact he's helping her play it up. She feels his gaze drift to the injured side of her face. He shakes his hand out of MJ's grasp, walks the few steps they had between them, and he wraps his arms around her in a tight hug.

Her eyes widen and her breathing becomes shallow with the pain from her ribs, and from her stuttering heart for a few breaths before she regains her composure.

"I'm sorry you got hurt Reggie." He says softly.

She hugs him back. "It's not your fault." She replies, he pulls away and smiles down at her.

"Wait.. What is going on?" MJ demands.

Peter flinches. "Uhh… Tony Stark wanted to meet Reggie, so he asked that I bring her with me to my internship. Reggie then got mugged on her way home."

MJ's eyes narrow. "How come I haven't gotten to meet him?"

An idea pops into Regina's head, and she smirks. "Because you haven't applied for a Stark Internship. She says nonchalantly. "Anyways, I've got to go. See you later." Regina waves and grabs Bria's hand, dragging her down the rest of the now empty hall and out of the school doors. Her insides cringe a little at the thought that Peter will have to deal with MJ's jealous rage alone, but her being there would make things worse. She is also freaking out on the inside, because that's the most physical contact she's ever had with anyone. Especially Peter.

"Dude! Peter just hugged you! In front of his girlfriend!" Bria squeals.

"I know, but don't take it out of context. He doesn't feel that way about me." Regina replies.

"I know, but he does care about you, or he wouldn't have dragged you away like that. Maybe it could grow into something more." Bria offers hopefully. Regina appreciates that her friend is trying to cheer her on with the guy she likes. But she won't force him into a relationship, and she definitely won't force him to cheat on his girlfriend.

"Thanks Bria, I guess we'll see what happens though."

Bria nods. "I'll see you later. Have a good weekend Regina."

She watches as her friend walks away, and then her phone rings. She glances at the unknown numbers on the screen, furrowing her eyebrows in aprehension. She debates if she should answer or not, she usually doesn't answer unknown numbers, but something inside her head tells her she should. So she presses the green button and places her phone at her ear.

"So I heard you applied for my Stark Internship. Now I usually don't give out more than one application, but I can make an exception for you. Stop by today, and I'll give you your instructions, I already have a job for you." Tony Stark's unmistakable voice starts talking on the other side.

"Wha- But wait… Huh?" Regina stutters, glancing around in confusion because she doesn't know what else to do. "I don't understand."

"Do you want the internship or not?" He asks slower, as if he's mocking her by speaking in simpler terms.

"Ye-yes.. I guess." She trails off. She's got nothing better to do. No job, and no one waiting at home for her.

"Come by as soon as possible." He orders, and then the line goes dead.

Regina stands there staring off into nothing as the phone is still held to her ear, wondering what had just happened.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow by noon, okay?" She hears Peter's voice as they come through the doors a few feet away from where she stands on the sidewalk.

"Okay sounds good." There is a silence, and then the sound of MJ walking away, towards the student parking lot.

Regina turns to face him. "Your dad has no sense of politeness." She calls out.

Peter jogs to catch up with her, and they start walking. "I know, but why do you say that?"

"He just called and demanded that I get over there. He says he has another opening for the Stark Internship. Just so you know, I am not becoming a hero. That is not how I roll. I am a quiet art student with no family, no job, and almost no friends." She rants.

Peter laughs. "Sounds like you're already on your way to becoming one, with that list of traits."

"Maybe you're right. After all, you're an unpopular nerd, with no family. I guess I am on my way there. But that doesn't mean I'm cut out for that line of work." She considers.

"I didn't know you don't have a family.." Peter goes back to that little detail.

"Yeah, my mother died when I was little. She was in some sort of accident. She's the one who left me my sketchbook, and the reason I love art. My dad left soon after, unable to stand living in the house without her. I don't know where he his, and I don't care." She explains her past as they board the bus, on their way to Avengers Tower, yet again.

"How do you afford living?" He asks, genuine concern written all over his face.

Regina grimaces. "I believe I have a rich uncle, on my mom's side. I think he sends me money every month, and my apartment is in his name. I've never met him, and I honestly don't even know if that really is the case, it's just something my preteen mind came up with when my rent was paid for the first time in junior high, and it just kind of stuck. Though I don't understand why he would send someone he hardly knows, consistent money."

"From the look on your face I take it you don't like that very much."

She shakes her head. "I don't. But it's how I live. I've tried getting a job, but nothing works out."

"I'm sorry." He says empathically.

She shrugs. She's learned to live with it

When they arrive at Avengers Tower, they make their way up to Mr. Stark's lab. When Regina steps out, she's met with his work tables covered in metals and tools, and Tony is standing next to a black woman, in front of some 3D blueprints of something.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Stark." Regina greets.

The two adults turn to her, and the prints they had been looking at disappear. "Oh, you're here already." Tony says.

Regina's lips twitch. "Indeed I am."

"Who is this?" Peter asks, gesturing to the dark skinned lady.

"My name is Shuri." She introduces herself with a heavy african accent. Her hair is braided into hundreds of tiny braids all twisted up into a thick ponytail. She his dressed in black skin tight leggings, and a bright orange top decorated with geometrical lines, modern, yet still with an air of african tribe to it.

"Hello, I'm Regina." She steps forward to shake the woman's hand. She studies Regina's face, her eyes lingering on the bruised side for a few moments longer, before she releases her hand.

"And I'm Peter, uuhh.. I'm Tony's son." He shakes her hand as well.

"You look much smarter than the spawn of this man should me." She states skeptically, shooting Mr. Stark a glance that Regina couldn't read.

"I'm adopted." Peter explains sheepishly. The woman nods in understanding.

"Okay, enough introductions. We have work to do" Mr. Stark interrupts. "Princess, Reginald, if you would come with me." He gestures loosely behind him. Reggie raises her eyebrows as she follows Shuri as the three of them walk deeper into Stark Territory. She knows Tony has a thing for giving people stupid nicknames, but Princess? She can't see a strong looking woman like her having a princess complex. She glances behind her to see Peter slipping out of the room, determination and excitement on his face. He must be going on out to scour the city for a little while.

"Excuse me, Mr. Stark." She speaks up. "You said you have an internship you'd like to speak with me about?"

She watches the back of his head as he speaks without turning around. "We're getting to that." Is his only response, until they reach the work table he wants, he then turns to address her. "I'm currently working on a new suit. This one will not be included in the Mark list. Because you have such great ideas, you're going to be the one who works out all the chinks in the armor."

Her eyes narrow at how sarcastically he phrases that sentence. "Is this what the 'internship' will consist of?" She clarifies.

"You will be here everyday, until the suit has been completed."

"Great, you have a deal then." She holds out her hand for him to shake. His eyebrow twitches, but he shakes it once. "Today, you will be working on modifying the general suit design, while the Princess here gets to work on the base tech." He instructs then walks away, leaving the two girls in an awkward silence.

"I must warn you, I am not very good at bringing the mechanics to life. I'm just an art student." Regina states uneasily. "I just draw lines and hope they look good."

"Leave the technicalities to me." Shuri says, smiling knowingly, as she turns and pulls up the holographic design of the newest iron man suit. It's colorless, and yet obviously for a woman, and there are no notes on the sides, like Regina feels there should be. Why would he leave a blank slate for them to work on?

She studies the design, trying to see how she can make this one unlike the other suits both he and she have designed. She clears her throat. "I hope I'm not over stepping my bounds on this project, but what if we made the suit almost identical to the latest model of the Iron Man mark, you know, the one Tony is currently using, except we add more tech, and make it more our own…" She suggests.

Shuri considers this. "How do you mean?"

Regina proceeds to point out the arc reactor core powering the whole suit, photon blasters, flight stabilizers in both the hands and feet, and the general make up of the design as a whole. "But then, what if we added different ways the photon blasters can be shot, like different types of shots that can do different things. I'd like to see something like little discs of energy being short Maybe we can add a little emergency ability that allows beams to be shot from the feet, as well as the arc reactor."

She doesn't realize that as she speaks, her words are being typed into the holographic figure, until she stops talking to take another look at the initial blueprint. That's handy, and it reminds her of a tiny detail she missed. "And true to Iron Man design, it needs to have an A.I."

Shuri nods, understanding her non-tech speech.

"What do you think the suit should be made out of? The same metal Iron Man is?"

Shuri rolls her eyes. "Iron Man is not even Iron. No, I have brought some metal samples from my home country. Would you like to see?"

Regina doesn't respond, but she is led over to another table anyway. The surface is littered with different types of metals in different shapes, colors, and sizes. "Before you arrived, we were deciding which metal to use. The metal I specialize in is this one." She points to a small vial with a blue glowing substance inside.

Her jaw drops. She never thought she would be able to see raw and unforged vibranium, let alone see something forged from the strongest metal in the world. "That one. No questions asked. I want this suit to be better than his any every way possible." She states, suddenly feeling a strong conviction to see this suit through to the end.

Shuri laughs. "Very well. Shall we get started?"

"Wait… how did you get your hands on a sample of pure vibranium? Where exactly are you from?"

"I come from Wakanda of course." She replies sarcastically.

"What are you doing clear over here in America?!" She asks, shocked she's met someone from the most powerful city ever heard of.

"Tony Stark begged me to assist him in the creation of the suit." She explains. Her smirk lets Regina know she's smug about Tony enlisting her help. Ruzina wonders who she is. She looks young, acts like an adult, and is on the same level, if not higher, than Tony Stark himself.

They stop talking and get to work.

Peter P.O.V.

The next day is Saturday, and for some reason his insides cringe at the thought of waking up. But he remembers his promise to his girlfriend, and drags himself out of bed. Glancing at the time he sees it's already ten o'clock, and that sends him into a frenzy. He showers quickly, and throws on a simple nerd shirt and jeans, tosses down a bowl of cereal, and grabs his wallet from his backpack.

"Where are you going in a rush?" A woman's voice asks from a bedroom doorway on the other side of the living quarters. Peter turns, a smile already on his face as he sees his adoptive mother standing there in sweatpants and a t-shirt, her red hair is tangled and sticking up in a few places. She has some black makeup smudges under her eyes, and she looks worn down and tired. Peter couldn't ask for a more realistic and awesome mom.

"Hey mom." He greets, feeling like he hasn't seen her in forever. She's stayed late at the office, and hasn't returned until long after Peter himself has returned from his hero duties.

"Good morning Peter."

"I have a date with MJ today. I need to catch a bus to get there in time." He explains.

She nods in understanding. "Alright, then I won't keep you. I hope I'll be able to see you at some point today though."

Peter steps up and hugs her. She wraps her arms tightly around him, and kisses the top of his head. He stands there, just letting her hold him, having missed a mother's touch for the past few days. He reluctantly pulls away though, because he knows he'll miss his bus.

"Have fun." She gently nudges him towards the door.

He arrives at the stop he needs and races across the street to MJ's apartment. He knocks on the door, and is almost tackled to the ground upon the door opening. His girlfriend throws her arms around him and presses a kiss to his cheek.

"Honestly, I was expecting you to cancel because some sort of Spiderman business came up, but you're here!" She squeals excitedly. "I'm ready to go, what do you have planned?"

Peter chuckles nervously. "Nothing too grand, I was just thinking we could go out, have lunch and do a little shopping."

Her face falls slightly. "You're not going to take me on a tour of the city as our beloved hero?" She asks, still hoping that's what the plan is.

"You know I can't do that. People will start trying to figure out who I am, because they know you."

She doesn't say anything. So Peter takes her hand and tugs to get her to start walking. He shakes off that his heart doesn't pound like it used to, thinking it's just because he's so used to her hand being in his at this point. "Instead, why don't we spend the day like a normal couple?" He asks softly.

"R-right" She replies.

He squeezes her hand and smiles. She smiles back, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. Peter thinks, quickly trying to find something that could lift her spirits. "Any good news stories recently? Any more luck on your reporting?" He asks, hoping she'll light up again and start talking.

She shakes her head and stares at her feet. "I was hoping to get a first hand experience into the life of Spiderman. I wanted to see how you see the city, and how exactly you do things. I've seen you in your suit, but you've never shown me how things work." Her bottom lip sticks out in a pout.

Usually when she pouts like that, he kisses her and it draws her out of her bad mood. But he doesn't feel the tingling desire to kiss her like that. He shakes his head and presses a kiss to the side of her head. "I'm sorry I disappointed you. But Spiderman isn't the only aspect of my life. I was hoping you and I could just be together today.." He explains.

MJ purses her lips. "Yes, I know. I get it." She smiles again, and this time it seems more happy and more genuine.

They walk around, browsing the shops, sampling things from street vendors, and talking to people waving papers around on the side of the sidewalk, hoping to get people's attention. The two of them aren't sold on whatever they're selling, but they joke around with them for a few minutes before moving on. They have lunch at a small sandwich place on the corner of the next street, then they move on. Peter talks about school, and some of his sciences. MJ would occasionally ask questions about Spiderman, or the Stark Internship details, and he would gladly answer. He then let her talk about some other news stories she's been working on or hearing about. A bank robbery a few cities over, a specific vault was completely emptied. A supposed octopus living in the sewers. A rumor that a few of the Avengers are going to be moving back to Avenger Tower. He shakes his head, he's pretty sure he would have heard about that if that one were true. Tony or Friday would have told him.

A few hours later, MJ decides she's done walking around, after having bought a Spiderman T-shirt that is just a red shirt with the spider symbol on the chest. So they circle around and make their way back to her house.

He returns her to her doorstep, moves in to kiss her, as that's what a boyfriend is supposed to do, but she tilts her head and his lips meet her cheek instead.

"Have a goodnight. I'll see you on Monday." Peter says in way of goodbye.

"Sure, see you." She replies, walking into her family's apartment as Peter backs away. He makes his way back to the bus stop, waits a few minutes for the next bus and then is on his way back home.

When he gets there, it's already pretty late and the sky is beginning to darken significantly. Pepper is in their living quarters, sitting on the couch.

"Hey, I'm home." He says to her.

She shifts to see him. "Welcome home. Did you have fun?"

"Yes. Is dad here?"

"He's been in his lab for hours. I don't know what it is he's working on, maybe you can find out, and then tell me later?" She asks, winking at him.

He laughs. "Sure thing." And makes his way to his father's work area. He's curious about this new development, because Tony hasn't really built anything in quite a while. When he arrives, he finds Tony bent over a glowing item as he sits at a work table.

"What are you working on?" He asks as he continues forward.

"A new suit. What do you think of the design?" He waves nonchalantly towards some blueprints suspended in the air beside him. Peter looks at them, and is surprised to find that the design is for a woman. Could it be for mom? Or one of the other Avengers?

"Who is the suit for?" Peter asks, watching his dad put together a brand new Arc Reactor Core.

"That lady friend you have." He replies, only half listening to Peter, as his full attention is on his new project.

Peter's blood runs cold, before a surge of heat almost makes him see red. "What?!" He demands.

"Her designs inspired me." Tony mumbles, obviously not happy to admit that out loud. "She has a beautiful mind. I figured she'd like to see her own design be brought to life."

"You're going to put her into a suit!?" Peter can't believe what his dad is doing. Reggie is just a normal girl. Sure she has kind of sad backstory, but not hero worthy. She hasn't made any move to become a hero at all if that were the reason. He doubts she even wants to be a hero.

"That's why you brought her to meet me. You wanted me to design her a suit, right?" His mouth moves up into a smirk. He hasn't looked up to see Peter's reaction to the news.

"NO! I brought her to meet you because she's smarter than you are!" Peter finally explodes, and yells at his dad. "You are not giving her that suit! Stop building it. Right now."

Tony finally looks up from the small core, and sees just how upset Peter is. "Why should I? The suit isn't for you, its for her. She'll be the one who decides whether or not to put it on." He says calmly.

"And if she does? What then? Are you going to force her to just be a friendly neighborhood hero? Is she just going to fly around, seeing and doing the exact same things everyday? Until the world is in danger and you need her to be your little errand boy as well?" Peter's words have the lilt of his emotional lisp, and yet he speaks clearly.

Tony leans back in his seat, watching Peter carefully. "We'll see what she wants, when the suit is finished." He speaks slowly, trying to calm Peter down, and also attempting to keep his own temper in check.

Peter laughs bitterly. "You didn't stop to consider what I wanted, and she's going to end up exactly like I am now. Not saving anyone, just going around in circles. Sometimes I wonder if that's the reason you adopted me, just so you could keep me crushed in the palm of your hand." It takes all he has to turn and walk away, rather than just run straight for the exit. He quickly gets his suit, and is out his bedroom window. He doesn't want anyone coming in to stop him from heroing when he's upset.

A few hours later, he's stopped a bike theft, another mugging, and someone who was trying to break into a store. But it's always just the same old crimes that petty people commit. He's sitting atop a building, gazing down at his territory, his little web. He feels like he should be doing something bigger, rescuing people on a wider scale. He's not a real Avenger, yet. He needs to prove himself. And he can't do that while he's stuck in Queens being the cute neighborhood Spiderman.

The back of his neck tingles and it feels like his little baby hairs shiver and then stand on end. He hears a scream for help from somewhere in the block below him. He sighs and stands, preparing to jump off the building, when something clamps around his leg.

"Where do you think you're going?" A raspy voice says behind him, sending chills down his spine. He turns to find a heavy set man with messy hair, the average looking scientist, if you will. But what grabs his attention is the long, gleaming metallic legs sprouting from his back, and suspending him in the air. One of the legs is what is around his ankle. "I have been watching you for a long time Spiderman. I will not let this opportunity slip through my claws."

Then Peter is airborne before he's crashed into a world of pain, where his vision goes dark.


	6. Chapter 6

Regina's P.O.V.

She walks in to the work lab and immediately goes over to the table where Shuri is working. She glances around, but Peter isn't there. Maybe he's not up yet, or maybe he's doing something else. A lurking dark feeling swims around in her head, but she shakes it off. It's Sunday, and she decided to come in earlier than usual, she's excited to learn more about bringing her designs to life. She looks at the table so see the skeleton of the suit. There are certain parts that are more filled in than others, like the forearm bracers and gloves, as well as the bottom leg portions. As she admires what's already been done, Tony comes over and places a chest plate with a glowing hexagonal shape in the center.

"Is that…. The Arc Reactor?" She asks in disbelief that it's already finished.

"What else would it be?" Tony asks.

Regina studies him, his eyes are dark and he has circles under his eyes. Is it because he has been staying up working on the suit? Or something else? Regina can't help but feel he looks a little sad.

"A better power source." Shuri mutters. Tony opens his mouth to make a sarcastic retort, but she continues. "Would you like to test out the blasters? I need to begin forging the arm pieces."

Regina and Tony glance at each other.

"Whoever hits the target the most times buys lunch." She challenges as she grabs the arm braces and chest plate off the surface and races towards the elevator.

"You're on." Tony replies, following her at a much slower pace. "Friday, hold the elevator."

Regina scoffs at the unfairness of what he just pulled, but the elevator still waits for him.

They make their way down to the lower basements of the tower, where several different targets are set up. She slips on the chest piece and blasters. Tony walks up behind her and connects a few wires and smaller piece between the reactor and gloves. He then presses his glowing chest piece and his suit radiates out over his body.

Regina's jaw drops. Well, so much for this suit being better than his. She sighs, and can't help feeling disappointed.

"What, jealous?" He asks, and she can't help but feel that he's mocking her.

"Yeah, just a bit." She admits.

"Don't worry, the Princess is on top of things." He raises his arm, his palm open wide and sends a bright blast at one of the targets.

She copies his stance, and feels the wires connecting the unfinished suit buzzing as the glove powers up and she too blasts one of the targets. The continue practice testing for a while, both losing track of time until a loud noise draws them from their shooting. The elevator dings.

Regina takes a deep breath and surveys the targets. Tony is obviously a better shot than she is, for now. "It looks like you're buying us lunch." Regina laughs loudly.

Tony scoffs. "That wasn't the deal. The deal was the one who missed the target the most buys lunch."

Regina clicks her tongue. "No it wasn't. Friday, play back the deal."

There is a rewinding sound as the building A.I. plays back the conversation, becoming louder when Tony agrees to Regina's terms. She smirks at him, proud that his A.I. System actually worked for her.

He grits his teeth and mutters under his breath. "I need to block the kid's access to my system." And then louder. "Fine. Pizza's on me. Go get Princess." He orders.

She rolls her eyes, but walks towards the exit anyways, just as a woman with red-orange hair is pacing out of the elevator.

"Tony, I haven't seen Peter since last night." She says, and it's obvious to Regina that this woman is trying to remain calm and collected. "He didn't come home last night."

Tony's face hardens. "He's probably just pouting. He'll come back when he's ready to apologize."

Regina swallows quickly suddenly feeling like something is wrong. She felt the same feeling when she first walked in this morning. "What happened, Mr. Stark?"

The woman turns Regina. "Who are you?"

Tony keeps his eyes on the woman in front of him, ignoring her question.. "The kid and I had a fight last night. He ran off to do some hero stuff to cool down. He probably feel asleep on some building. He'll come back when he's ready."

Regina's breathing stutters. "I think you're wrong." She gasps out. "He isn't the type of person who would stay away for a long time. He'd come to fix the problem as soon as he figured out his feelings."

"How do you know that?" The woman asks her.

She raises her wide eyes. "Because he's my best friend. I know him more than anyone."

"You had better do something to fix this, Tony Stark. You'd better do everything in your power to bring my son back." The woman, now Regina knows is Peter's adoptive mother, demands.

"If he doesn't show up tonight, I'll make some calls, let's just wait." He says, pressing his core once again and his suit disappears. The three of them make their way back to Tony's lab in silence.

Regina isn't so excited to build the suit anymore. She's more worried about Peter. She knows something happened.

"How well do the Photon Blasters work?" Shuri asks, looking up from the even more completed suit.

"They're slow powering up. I think the connection between the Reactor and the blasters, need to be stronger." Regina states numbly, feeling robotic. "But then again, what do I know?"

"Of course, I will work on the flight stabilizers once the vibranium particles are forged." She works quietly for the rest of the day, with Tony and Reggie making minor changes or adjustments to the armor as she does. When the suit is about half finished, meaning the arms and the chest plate are connected, and the legs are armored up as well, they call it quits.

"You'd better start making calls. Peter isn't back yet." Regina warns.

Peter's P.O.V.

Peter opens his eyes, or at least he thinks his eyes are open, it's dark, wherever he is. His body feels funny, kind of fuzzy and heavy, almost like it's asleep, and yet there is an underlying painful sensation beneath the numb.

"Good. You're awake. I'm glad the procedure didn't kill you." A raspy voice says from somewhere in the darkness. The voice is familiar, and yet he can't place where he's heard it before.

"Who are you?" Peter has to force his own voice to work.

The voice laughs in a bone chilling way, and Peter shivers. "I am your worst nightmare." A bright light flashes into Peters eyes, he groans in pain as his head feels like it's going to explode. He turns his neck, trying to escape the light, but just that movement sends agony shooting down into his chest and shoulders, he rolls over, and realizes that is a mistake as every inch of his body burns.


	7. Chapter 7

Regina's P.O.V.

Shuri, Regina, and Peter's mom are sitting on the couch, while Tony is standing in the corner mumbling, she would say to himself, but he's probably on the phone.

"Where could he be?" His mom asks calmly, as if she's trying to think up possible places, but her voice wavers, and Regina knows just how much she's worrying, and that she doesn't want anyone to know.

"I would like to say he couldn't have gone far, but he's a radioactively enhanced teenager, and we don't know just how far he can go." She mumbles.

His mom raises an eyebrow at her. "How do you know that?"

Regina purses her lips, cringing inside as her words sink in. She can't believe she talks about it so easily,when it's supposed to be a secret. For all she knows his mother won't know about his secret. Its obvious she does, but if she hadn't, Regina would have just spilled his other life without hesitation. "I figured it out, by accident." She explains, feeling lame.

His mom nods in understanding. "I know down in the basement you said you are Peter's best friend, are you not his girlfriend?"

She feels the light sensation of a blush on her face. "N-no. I'm not his girlfriend, her name is Mary Jane Watson. My name is Regina, I'm just his fr-friend."

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Pepper Stark. I'm glad he has someone he can trust." She smiles at Regina warmly, and she can't help but feel welcome and comforted. She's never been surrounded by so many people who like her, and make her feel at home, even if she's still an outsider of sorts.

"When my brother and I would fight, our mother did not tolerate it. She made us sit at her feet with a string tying our wrists together, his left and my right. Until we could work our problems out, with kind words. If we said any mean words, she would tighten the strings until our wrists hurt." Shuri says, her melodic accent is almost soothing as she tells her story. She rubs her wrist as if she can still feel it. "Because of that, my brother has become a kind, and patient king. My mother still does not tolerate my sarcastic teenage nature, though." She laughs. "My point is, one needs to find a way to solve problems without violence or running away. Do you agree, Mr. Stark?"

Mr. Stark doesn't answer, but Pepper murmurs her agreement, while Regina's jaw drops in shock. She's a teenager?! SHE'S ROYALTY!? She acts so much older, and she's so much smarter. She guesses that's why Tony calls her 'Princess'. Regina rolls her eyes, he really needs to come up with better nicknames if he's trying to make fun of people.

Finally, Tony speaks. "I was only able to contact Steve and Natasha." He walks over and slumps onto the couch beside Pepper. "I left messages for Bruce, Clint, and Scott. Hopefully Thor will be alerted somehow and he'll come to help with all his Shakespeare Asgardian-ness."

"You're calling in the Avengers? Over your son?" Regina asks incredulously. "This isn't that kind of emergency. Why can't you use your tech? Why aren't you out there looking for him in your suit? Just do a scan of the city and find the heat signature or something that says 'Peter'."

"There also aren't those kinds of bad guys here in the city areas." He says as if he's explaining something so simple to a child. But part of her thinks he's also trying to convince himself, that Peter isn't in any kind of danger.

She knows otherwise, so rather than freaking out, she rolls her eyes. "So what? He got mugged? He got into a fight and has been knocked out on the side of the road by some robbers? If it were a situation as small as that, he would be back by now. No, I think your domain has been infiltrated and there is a badder bad guy hiding out somewhere, with one missing Spiderman in his clutches."

Tony stares at her. "I don't have the time or energy, little missy. My kid is missing. Which is something that can't happen, because he has super enhanced senses." He's still trying to convince himself.

"You do realize you aren't making any sense, right?" Regina asks. "You haven't gotten enough sleep, and you aren't calm enough to think straight."

Pepper nudges her husband. "She's right. Go rest, we'll wait here for the Avengers you've made contact with.

He hesitates, glancing at each of them as if he's afraid to sleep. Regina's eyes narrow, it's not like Tony Stark to show weakness. He must really love the boy he adopted.

"We'll find him, Mr. Stark." Regina states firmly, and with a confidence she doesn't even know if she has on the inside.

Finally he agrees after Pepper presses a kiss to his cheek, and he disappears down the hall.

A few hours later, Tony hasn't resurfaced, and things have quieted down. So Regina decides to go exploring. She's only been to a limited amount of the floors inside the enormous Avengers Tower. By that, she means two of the floors. She's had an extensive tour of Tony Stark's invention lab, and she's only briefly stepped foot into Peter's family's living area.

Looking around, the living room area is wide, expanding into the kitchen, which is also quite large. There is no dining area, but Regina figures rich people have the time and luxury to consistently lounge around. She scoffs, that's something she'll never know or understand.

She gets up and follows a small hallway that leads to a series of doors. One is closed. She doesn't open it as she's afraid she might disturb the sleeping Mr. Stark. Across the hall from that door is an open one, revealing the bathroom.

A few framed photos are hung up across the two walls as she makes her way down the short hallway. She studies them as she passes. Pictures of Tony in his first Iron Man suit, of Tony and Pepper kissing at a press conference, a large one of all of the Avengers, then another one of all the Avengers including all of the newest additions to the team. Below those, there is a picture of the three of them; Tony, Pepper, and Peter on the day they adopted him. Peter's eyes are red like he'd been crying, but he had the biggest smile she had ever seen on him. The next few frames are certificates stating that Tony and Peter are practically geniuses. The end of the hall is a single door, left ajar like whoever had entered hadn't bothered to close it properly. This must be Peter's room. She hesitates before pushing the door open, revealing his nerd space. Not really. There is a bed on the right wall, with a dresser next to it. A messy desk takes up the space in the corner across from the bed. Paper and clothes litter the floor, and his bed is messy, yet looks like it hasn't been slept in for a little while.

Where could he be? What could be happening to him? She shakes her head, stopping her thoughts before she starts to panic.

A commotion happening out in the front room draws her away from his room. She walks back down the hall and is greeted by two of the Avengers. One is immediately recognizable by her flaming red hair. The other is a tall man with dark blonde hair and those muscles… She has to swallow back the drool.

"Tony briefly let us know what was happening, have you had anymore word on where he is?" The really attractive man asks.

Pepper shakes her head. "All we know is that he's been gone since yesterday."

The man's eyebrows are furrowed and a few emotions flit across his face. Worry, confusion, doubt.

Anger flares up inside Regina's chest. "Something is wrong." She says, with a fierce confidence she never shows.

All eyes turn to her.

"How are you so sure? He's still a teenager. Teenagers fight with their parents all the tieme" The muscle man says.

Regina scoffs, thinking he's just coming up with excuses, just like Mr. Tony Stark. "I'm sure you've been through enough with him to know he's not the type of person to throw a tantrum. Call it my Spidey-Sense. Something happened to him."

He watches her carefully. "What makes you say that?" He asks.

"I don't know exactly, but it's just this feeling I have." She explains briefly, folding her arms.

"And, who are you?" He asks, more polite now.

"The name is Regina."

The red haired Black Widow smirks. "I like her. I'm Natasha Romanoff."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." She replies politely.

"My name is Stever Rogers." The man introduces.

It takes all she has not to allow her jaw to drop. She just met the leader of the Avengers. Captain America. She gives him a nod, knowing she'll make a fool of herself if she tries to speak.

A loud clapping sound echoes around the now quiet room. "Great, now that introductions are finished, let us get started." Shuri announces.

"Let's talk assignments." Steve says.

Shuri presses a button and a map of New York pulls up in front of them.

"We're going to split up to take the different sections of Manhattan. Shuri, you search Upper Manhattan and Harlem. I'll take the Upper East and West sides. Nat, you take Hell's Kitchen, East Village, and Lower Manhattan." Steve instructs.

"How are we going to find the kid?" Natasha asks.

Shuri holds up three hand held devices. "I have these trackers. I've linked them to Tony's system, so we should have the information about Peter's suit. He removed the tracking system from his suit some time ago, but these should find the electronic signals in his suit." She hands one to the other two adults.

"Wait! What about me?" Regina asks.

Steve pauses, thinking. Regina watches as his face shifts to an expression of sympathy. "I know you want to help, but we can cover a lot more ground with three trained Avengers. Why don't you stay here and be the man in the chair in case one of us finds him?" He offers.

Hurt and frustration sting her throat. She can't believe she's just supposed to sit here, worrying and waiting for someone to find him. What if they don't find him tonight? What if they do find him and something bad happens? She swallows back her sarcastic retort about them needing her, because she knows they don't. She watches in silence as they file into the elevator and disappear behind the doors.

Pepper wraps an arm around her shoulders. "I'm worried about him too. There's not much I can do either, I'm just the working mom of the family."

"I wish I could do something! I can't just sit here while someone I care about is missing, or worse! He could be injured, or almost dead, he co-could be-" She cut off that thought. He can't be dead. There is no way Spiderman, Peter Parker, could be dead. Right? Pepper pulls her down onto the couch, keeping her comforting arm around her shoulders.

"I know how you feel. I have two reckless men to keep an eye on."

"How do you do it? How do you watch the people you love come and go like that, knowing they're getting themselves into dangerous situations?"

"I know they can protect themselves. They also leave knowing that if they die, I'll kill them myself." She says, grinning kind of evilly, yet her eyes are soft and comforting.

Regina breathes out a laugh, it feels a little forced, but she is thankful that Pepper is trying to help her feel better.

"I know I only met you earlier today, but you're a strong girl. I'm a little sad Peter didn't introduce you to us sooner." Pepper says.

"I don't see why he would? I'm not his girlfriend, and we hardly associated outside of school before a few days ago. Yet he's my best friend. We talk about many things when we're together, and we always learn something new, whether it's about each other, or not." She says, allowing a smile onto her face.

"I don't know much, but I'd assume you see him as much more than just a friend." Pepper comments slyly.

Regina doesn't have time to stop the blush from rushing to her face. Is she really that obvious? "Y-yeah. You're right. I do have a big crush on him." She admits.

"I like you. I think you'd be good for him." Pepper says.

Regina laughs again. "He has a girlfriend. I'm not getting out of the friendzone anytime soon."

Pepper doesn't reply.

"An-Anyways. I think I'll just go home. If I can't do anything I think it's better if I get some rest, and then come and check in in the morning." Regina stands and stretches out her arms.

"It was nice talking with you, have a goodnight Pepper." She says and leaves the building.

She sighs and gazes through narrowed eyes as she watches the city flow by the bus. They said to wait and see if they find him. But they didn't say she couldn't look down inside Hell's Kitchen on her way home. A smirk twitches her lips. They'll owe her an apology if she finds him.

An hour and a half later she gets off at her bus stop and immediately begins checking out every alley on her way to her apartment. She scares a few stray cats, almost trips over a few homeless or intoxicated people. But she finds no sign of Spiderman, or Peter.

She sighs but refuses to give up. She crosses the street and finds herself face to face with that alley. The one in which she almost lost her life, and her will to live. She swallows thickly and moves past it, but a feeling in her gut tells her to stop and turn around. She pauses, just the mere thought of walking through that traumatic place again causing her to shake. But her gut feeling doesn't cease. So she takes a few moments to steel herself against the fear, whirls around and races into the alley. She keeps her eyes on the ground, and yet she isn't prepared for what she trips over. She sprawls across the dirty ground, fighting to breathe again because she had landed on her injured rib cage. She slowly sits up, and turns to see what she had tripped over. A form of a body lay crumpled on the ground. She pulls out her cellphone and turns it on flashlight mode.

The sight before her causes her sweaty body to turn cold.

"Oh my gosh. Peter!" Regina exclaims when she sees him curled up in that cursed alley.

His eyes flutter open as she approaches. "Reggie." He mumbles her name. "It hurt. So bad."

"Hey. Hey, it's okay. Calm down. You're okay now." She reaches out to squeeze both of his arms.

"My powers are gone. My powers are gone." He chokes out, though Regina can't tell if its because of this new development, or because he's seriously injured. She takes a deep breath, trying to stay calm about that fact that she just found him nearly dead in alley, with no powers, after he's been missing for the past two days.

"We need to get you help." She fumbles with her phone, dialling the pre-set emergency contact of Tony Stark.

He picks up on the first ring. "Where are you?" He demands.

She flinches, then takes a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "I'm in an alley outside of my apartment. I decided to join the search party on my way home."

"Do you realize how dangerous and stupid that is?" He asks harshly.

"Yes, I get it, but listen-"

"You could get hurt, or taken just like Peter." He continues as if she never made a sound.

"Yes, about Peter-" She tries again.

"I don't have time to talk to you about this, I'm trying to find my son." He snaps.

"Tony Stark, for once in your life will you just listen to me." She snaps, frustrated that he's not taking her seriously.

"Excuse me? You think I have the time to be arguing with another stubborn teenager-" The Iron Man retorts, but Regina cuts him off this time.

"IT'S YOUR STUBBORN TEENAGER THAT'S IN TROUBLE YOU SELFISH IRON HEARTED JERK! I FOUND HIM HALF DEAD IN AN ALLEY!"

She is met with silence on the other end for a split second.

"Who's closer to you?" Tony asks.

"Widow I think, she was instructed to take on Hell's Kitchen." She responds briefly.

"I'll send you her number. You two had better get him here fast." He instructs, then hangs up.

She sighs, her two most rebellious acts in her entire life. Sneaking out and disobeying orders, then yelling at and insulting someone who could destroy her life with a snap of his fingers if he wished.

"Who are you on the phone with?" Peter asks, she notices his words slightly slurring together.

She scoots closer to him. "No no, none of that. Stay awake." She pulls him up into a sitting position.

"Everything is blurry." He mumbles.

"I know, but you need to stay with me." She lightly shakes his shoulders. She's too afraid to touch him anywhere else, because she doesn't know how much it will hurt. The last thing she wants to do is cause him even more pain.

"But I'm with you right now." His voice is light, almost airy, as if he's not all there.

A small smile quirks at the edge of her lips. "I know you are, Peter." She glances around for Peter's mask and finds it a few feet away from them. She scrambles over to grab it, then slips it back over his head. "This might be uncomfortable for a little while, but we still need to keep your identity a secret."

He doesn't reply. She hopes he hasn't passed out.

Her phone chimes, and without hesitation she presses the contact in the text message..

The woman picks up on the first ring. She admires the Avengers' timing. "What's wrong?"

"I found him." She says quickly, before she gets yelled at again. She suddenly has an idea, and an urge to get away from the danger of this place. "I'm taking him to my apartment, I'll send you the address. We need to get him some serious medical help. I've already called Tony."

"No. Don't move him. I've locked onto your coordinates, keep him there" She orders.

"Okay." Regina replies then hangs up. She turns back to the masked boy. "Are you still awake?" She asks softly.

The only response she gets from him is a grunt. But at least it's better than silence.

"Don't worry, help is on the way. I'll stay with you, and then you're going to leave, okay?" She explains.

"But I want to stay with you." She can barely hear his voice as he whispers those words.

Her bottom lip quivers. How she wishes he would say those words to her when there is no danger, when he isn't half dead. She also wishes her own selfish desires and feelings wouldn't show through at a time like this. "I want to stay with you too. But I can't. You're too hurt and someone is coming to take you away." She says softly. "But I'll see you, okay? I'll see you soon. And then I can tell you just how much I love you."

He doesn't reply, and for once, she's okay with that. She doesn't know if he hears, or even understands her.

The Black Widow gets to them in just a few minutes with Captain America in tow with a vehicle.

"He's barely conscious- I tried to-" Regina tries to explain but they ignore her as they carefully lift his limp body and sets him in the back of the car.

"Good work. Now go home and get some rest. We'll take care of him from here, okay?" Natasha says before they drive off.

So she turns and races from the alley, finding comfort in her solo apartment for the first time in a long time. Regina collapses onto her old mattress with a huff of exhaustion. Her heart is finally starting to slow to it's normal rate, but her mind is still racing from what she had just witnessed. What had happened to Peter? Is he okay? What if he isn't? Reggie stops herself at that thought. She can't think like that.

She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, still trying to make sense of everything. Peter had said that his powers were gone. What was he talking about? What had he meant? Who had done that to him? Why would they do that to him?

She tosses and turns over and over to these thoughts, wanting some sort of answer to these questions. She knows she will get some answers in the morning, but she fears the worst for what those answers might be.

After a few hours of worrying, sleep finally finds her, with her alarm not far behind.


	8. Chapter 8

The next day, Regina decides to skip school, and instead takes the long, complicated bus route back to Avenger's Tower to check on Peter. When she arrives, everyone is sitting around looking solemn. She turns in a circle, looking for Tony or Pepper, yet there are only three people on the couch.

"Where is everyone?" She asks, hoping to draw an answer from any of them.

"Mrs. Stark had to go back to work. Mr. Stark is hiding away somewhere. And-"

Natasha finishes for Shuri. "Peter is set up in his bedroom."

Regina nods and turns toward the hall.

"Tony doesn't want anyone going in there." Steve warns. She narrows her eyes at his attempt to stop her.

"I don't care. I need to see him." She states and hurries down the hall to the last door. She opens the door to a doctor-like set up. A glance around shows all of his furniture pushed to one side of the room, and all the blinds are closed. Someone had picked up and organized all of his belongings, so the room was cleaner since the last time she saw it. There are bandages and different wound cleaners set up on the table, along with a white box that is clearly a first aid kit. Her searching gaze drifts to Peter who is propped up in what seems to be an uncomfortable sleeping position. Though that's just her opinion, sleeping partially sitting up must be helping him in some way.

She swallows down her empathic gasp of pain when she sees just how beat up he is, and even from where she stands she knows she doesn't see everything. His face is riddled with blue and purple bruises, and his right arm is wrapped in a splint. She pulls his desk chair up next to his bed and sits, leaning close to him. His left hand is draped across his stomach. She touches her fingers to his lightly, and in response his fingers twitch and a few of his intwine with hers.

His eyes blink open and immediately move to meet hers.

Peter's P.O.V.

All he feels is pain and all he sees is darkness. Until a warm touch pulls back to the surface. His hand moves on it's own, wrapping around, and hanging onto that warm feeling. He forces his eyes to crack open, straining against dim light in the room to see his angel of warmth. He allows his head to tilt slightly to one side so he can see the girl sitting beside him.

"Hey." He rasps out hoarsely.

"Don't do that." Regina says, her voice thick with an emotion he's never heard from her before. "You don't need to speak. You need to rest."

"I still wanted to see you." He mumbles.

"I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." She assures him.

Regina's P.O.V.

His eyes close again and body visibly relaxes.

"I thought I said no one was to come in here." A deep voice from the door says harshly. The anger is plain in his voice this time.

"And I told the others I didn't care." She replies without looking away from Peter.

"You're going to need to learn to watch yourself. Not all of us Avengers are as forgiving as I am." Mr. Stark warns.

"Is that a threat, 'Man of Iron'?" Regina asks.

"Was it that obvious?" He asks sarcastically.

"You had better listen to me now, Tony Stark. I do not let anyone tell me what to do. Even if you are a billionaire hero. I had to learn to rely on my gut feelings to survive, and I'm not about to change that for you, or for anyone else. So if I feel like I should disobey orders, you bet that's what I'm going to do. I came to see Peter." She says, with conviction. She looks up at the man in the doorway long enough for him to see the determination in her eyes, before she turns her gaze back to Peter.

"Let her be. She's not doing anything wrong." Pepper's soft voice chides.

"She doesn't listen-"

"And neither do you. She is the best thing for him right now. She can see him as much as she wants to." She interrupts him. "That said, Regina, you do need to take some time for yourself, you can't miss a whole lot of school just because of our Peter, deal?" Pepper asks.

Regina just nods, letting the kind mother-figure know she agrees with the deal, but for today, she can miss all the school she wants.

The room becomes quiet once more, and she squeezes Peter's hand. She allows her gaze to flow over him, surveying his injuries. His face is beat up, his arm is obviously hurt. She shifts the blanket out of the way long enough to see that his torso is covered in stitched up lacerations and abrasions, his ribcage is also black and blue. She's not sure if his ribs are broken, but he seems to be breathing okay. She places the blanket back over him. "What happened to you?" She wonders aloud.

She allows her mind to drift, hoping it might take her to the answers. He ran off, obviously upset. But about what? Based on Tony's reaction it had something to do with him.. If she asks though, she knows he won't tell her. But what happened after that? He disappeared while he was out being Spiderman. Based on his injuries, he was taken, but by who or what? It has to be a villain that doesn't have a whole lot of attention on them right now, or the news would be all over this story.

On top of everything, Peter says he lost his powers. How is that possible? Whoever it is, they know how to deal some serious damage without actually killing their victim. But that still doesn't answer the question of who the culprit is.

She faintly hears murmured voices in the other room, but doesn't care enough to listen in or join the conversation.

"What are you going to do now? If your powers are gone, are you going to try to get them back? Or will you take this chance to be a normal teenager again?" Regina asks Peter softly, not expecting an answer, because he is unconscious, and she kind of hopes he stays that way during her little speech she's about to make. "If you do, you'll have more time to go on dates with MJ, I know she'd love that. I would if I were in her shoes… Though I guess you have been spending a little bit more time with me, than you have with her lately. I wonder how she feels about that. Does that make her mad? Jealous? Insecure? I never thought I would be the type to fall for a boy who was already taken by another girl. Yet here I am." She sighs. "The fact that you were Spiderman didn't bother me. Even if I made a big deal about it when I first found out. Being a hero suits you. You're so selfless, and put other people's safety before your own. I could never compare to that." She rests her head on the bed next to him. "Maybe I'm a little bit jealous of you."

"Why?" Another voice asks from the doorway.

Regina gasps and sits up abruptly, Natasha is leaning against the doorframe. "How long were you-" Regina stops and clears her throat. "I thought you were out there talking with the others."

"I was. But those men aren't the smartest." She smiles secretively.

Regina nods in agreement, a sarcastic smile on her face.

"Why are you jealous of Peter?" Natasha asks again.

Regina looks back at the boy. "He kind of has the life I sometimes wish I had." She says. "He has a family, he's a hero. He has so many things going for him. I'm just a background character who spends her days going in circles."

"You don't have a family?" Natasha asks.

Regina laughs bitterly. "No. Or at least not one that cares about me. My mother died, and my father abandoned me after he decided he couldn't live without her. I have some rich relatives on her side that help me get by, but I don't know any of them, and don't know why they'd care about me, since no one else does."

Natasha is silent. When Regina finally pulls her eyes from Peter, she finds the red haired woman staring down at her, expressionless.

"What?" She asks.

"Nothing." Natasha says as she turns and disappears down the hall. Regina blinks confused at her exit, but then shrugs it off. A few minutes later she's asleep at Peter's bedside.


	9. Chapter 9

Peter's P.O.V.

Peter opens his eyes, feeling refreshed, like he's slept for a long time, and yet still tired like he hasn't slept at all. A heavy weight is across his abdomen, sending shooting pains into his ribs. He groans and attempts to move the one arm that isn't strapped down, but the weight seems to be holding that down as well. He tilts his head to see a mass of dark hair fanning out around a tan skinned face. Sure enough, her head is partially propped up against his side, with her right arm draped across his torso, her hand clutching his. He smiles down at her, glad that hers is the first face he saw when he woke up.

"Welcome back." His dad says from somewhere else in the room.

He glances up to see both of his parents in the room. His mom is sitting in another chair, hands resting on her stomach. His dad is standing rigid next to her.

"Hey." He breaths out, relieved that he's in a safe place. His mind flashes back to the darkness, reliving the pain he had felt, and hearing that harsh voice. He flinches, then grunts from the pain that action causes. "What day is it?" He asks.

"It's Wednesday. How are you doing?" His mom asks softly.

"I'm...fine." Peter says, but everyone in the room can tell that's not true at all. But that's the best word he could come up with.

"You've been sleeping on and off for the past two days. But for some reason your body isn't healing like it's supposed to." His mother explains. Pepper knows one of his abilities is to heal sightly faster than the normal human body.

Peter purses his lips, willing himself not to cry over the now missing piece of him. "Th-that's because I don't have my ab-bilities anymore." He stutters out.

Both of his parents' faces simultaneously fall into shock.

"How?" Is all the famous Tony Stark can say on the matter.

Peter shakes his head, trying not to be pulled back into the terror and agony of that dark place again. "I-I was out being Spiderman, when all of a sudden this man wi-with these metal arms attacked me. I blacked out and couldn't figure out wh-where I was when I woke up.. The first time.." He explains, tripping over his words as he controls his breathing.

"It looks like he did more to you than just take your powers." His dad states angrily.

"I-I-" Peter attempts to say more but just the act of restraining the memories makes his head pound.

"Here's the thing kid, you were found half dead in an alley, and none of us have any idea why you were targeted." His dad states, but his gaze flickers to the sleeping girl laying beside his bed.

Peter takes a deep breath, trying to steady himself.

"I think there's one person who could know." A light and sleepy voice draws everyone's attention to the girl beside Peter. She sits up and yawns.

That's when Peter gets a good glimpse of her t-shirt. Or rather his t-shirt. It's black and says 'The physics is theoretical but the fun is real' in white lettering. For some reason he's filled with a kind of happiness that she's wearing one of his shirts.

"And who is that?" Tony asks her.

"Why don't you try talking to one Mary Jane Watson. She is a reporter wannabe afterall. She knows all kinds of random news stories." Reggie says, stretching her arms out above her head.

Peter has to refrain from quirking an eyebrow at the fact that she's openly talking about his girlfriend, when he knows she doesn't like her all that much. It's then that Peter realizes he doesn't know the reason why.

"Why don't you try asking her at school tomorrow?" Pepper asks Regina.

Reggie shakes her head. "She and I aren't on speaking terms, I wouldn't be any help in getting information out of her."

"I'll ask her when I-" The thought of going back out into the open causes a cold sweat to break out across Peter's skin, and he cuts himself off. How can he face the world now that he isn't Spiderman? How can he risk himself again? He sighs, how can he think like this right now? He's never been selfish…

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to go to school anytime soon." Reggie says.

"We need to get the information as soon as possible." Peter argues.

Reggie sighs. "I have a few resources of my own. There is someone who can talk to MJ, don't worry."

His dad looks like he wants to argue that, but his mom takes his hand instead. "We'll leave that to you then." She addresses Reggie.

"I need to speak with Cap." Tony mutters and leaves the room.

Pepper sighs. "He's just upset with all that's been happening. Don't take anything he says or does personally." She stands and walks over to kiss Peter on the forehead and smooth his hair back. He relishes in the touch of a protective and loving mother. "She's been waiting for you to wake up. She's hardly left your side." She whispers into his ear. "I'll get some lunch." She smiles at her son and then walks out of the room.

"How are you doing?" Reggie asks expectantly. "Does anything hurt? Wait.. That was a stupid question."

He smiles at her clumsy words. "I'm fine. Better knowing that you're here." He says.

Her mouth lolls open and a red coloring rushes to her cheeks. "I-I...I just- I wanted to make sure you were okay, th-thats all." She stutters, then snaps her mouth closed.

Peter's mind flashes to the last time he heard her voice. He vaguely remembers her beside him in the exact place she's sitting now. And again in another cold, dark place. He shivers again and he flinches against the sudden pain of his body tensing.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. Whatever you're thinking about right now, you don't have to worry about anything. Okay? Look at me. Focus on me right now." She urges. She adjusts her hand in his so their fingers are intertwined.

He gazes into her eyes. "You were there, weren't you? You're the one who found me." He realizes.

"Yes I was." She replies simply. "I'm sorry I couldn't do much."

"You did more than you think you did." He says, allowing some of the safe memories to play in his head. Her voice, assuring him that he was going to be okay, her urging him to stay awake, to concentrate on her. And then one detail he had missed when he was initially in shock.

"_But I want to stay with you." He whispers, hoping she can hear him even though he feels so weak._

_It's silent, except for the sound of her breathing, and then her next words are filled with a sad and deep emotion. "I want to stay with you too. But I can't. You're too hurt and someone is coming to take you away." She says softly. "But I'll see you, okay? I'll see you soon. And then I can tell you just how much I love you."_

His heart pounds in his chest, and after a few seconds his head begins to throb in time with his heartbeat, as if his heart is telling him to get his act together. His gaze falls to their hands wrapped together in his lap, and then rises back up to meet her eyes. "Did you mean that?" He asks hoarsely, his voice suddenly gone.

"Mean what?" She asks, confused at his vague words and lack of explanation.

"Did you mean what you said that night? When you said you love me?" He watches her reaction.

Reggie's dark eyes go wide and her bottom lip trembles. "Ho-how.. You weren't supposed to-... I-I.." She stammers, obviously trying to come up with an excuse or other explanation.

"There are very few memories I am willing to remember. But that memory is right at the surface right now." He states, seeing if that will help her get her act together.

"Th-that night...I was just trying to-to assure you that everything was going to be okay.." She says, like she's trying to convince herself more than she's trying to convince him. "Right now I think you're just confused. I think I overheard Pepper saying something about you having a concussion.." She finally says, but even that seems like she's trying to cover a mistake.

His vision starts going black around the edges. "Are you saying I can't trust my own memories?" He tries to ask in a way that shows her he's upset, but his words are slow and slurred again.

"Not at all. But right now you have some head injuries. Hopefully your head will clear up soon, and things will go back to the way they were." She says.

He sighs as he relaxes back into his propped up pillows, feeling like he's being pulled back into sleep. He tries to fight it. He's not done talking to her yet. He doesn't want to drop the subject. He wants to know if she really meant it. His hand tightens around hers, and in one painful movement he pulls her over him. She lurches out of her seat, stopping herself with one hand beside his head as she props herself up.

"What are you doing?" She asks, alarmed at the sudden movement. "Are you crazy? You could hurt yourself more-"

"I think you're just making excuses." He speaks softly, yet her words are cut off.

"Wha-what do you m-mean?" She asks.

"I think you don't want to tell me the truth." He whispers, leaning up just enough to brush his lips across hers before he lays back down and succumbs to the pulling darkness.

Regina's P.O.V.

She falls back into the chair, lips tingling, wondering what just happened. He's probably just confused, delusional. He has a girlfriend, maybe he just mistook her for MJ… She clears her throat and stands, pulling her hand away from his. She definitely can't handle this. Her first kiss was just stolen by a boy who had no idea what he was doing, and not only that, it was the boy she's been crushing on since before he even knew she existed! As soon as he wakes up, he's just going to go running back to his girlfriend. She might as well just resign herself to the fact she's never getting out of the friendzone.

"I'll see you later Peter." She says quietly, and speeds out of the room. Her heart can only take so much. And what her head needs right now is a distraction.

Steve and Shuri are nowhere to be seen. Pepper and Tony are on the couch murmuring to each other, from the looks of it, he's upset about something, probably her, and Pepper is trying to talk him down. Natasha is pacing in front of the expansive windows.

"I think I'm going to go home for tonight." She announces. "I'll try to get contact with MJ and then I'll get back with you."

"Would you like a ride home?" Natasha asks from across the room.

"Sure." She shrugs.

She and Natasha walk down to the basement where her expensive Corvette Stingray is parked. "I mean, I know you're famous and a hero and all, but you guys are really extra when it comes to your accessories." She comments.

Natasha smirks. "What can I say, I only save the world in style."

Regina shakes her head and wipes the drool from her mouth. "And that is exactly the level of extra I am talking about."

Natasha laughs and climbs into the driverseat. Regina hesitates before opening the passenger side door, afraid that if she touches it she might ruin the sleek black paint job. Natasha starts the car, and the engine purrs to life, so she finally opens the door and slips into the passenger seat.

The inside is just as beautiful and black as the outside, with all the cool gadgets and buttons that come with being rich and a hero.

"How long have you lived alone?" Natasha asks as she pulls out onto the road in the direction of Regina's apartment.

"A few years. Dad just walked out just before I started junior high. I spent the entire year thinking and hoping he'd come back, but he never did. Or if he did it was when I wasn't home. After that year was when the money from I don't even know who or where started coming in, almost as if someone was ensuring I was still alive." Regina explains. "Before that though, I might as well have been living alone since mom died, he hardly even looked at me when he was at home. It wasn't that big of a surprise when he finally broke down and just left, but it was still sad."

"If someone had the means of tracking your dad down, would you want to see him?" The woman then inquires.

Regina thinks for a moment. Would she want to see her dad again? After all these years? After he made the conscious choice to abandon her? "No. I grew up by myself. I had to learn to do everything on my own. I don't owe him anything, except maybe a punch in the face, for leaving his underrage daughter to fend for herself, just for his own selfish reasons."

Natasha considers her response, then nods in agreement. "Do you want to cut all ties with him then?"

"Yes." Regina responds without hesitation. "I don't want him to come knocking out the blue, if he decides he does want a daughter. I don't think he will, I mean it's been almost seven years."

"Do you want things to stay how they are?" She suddenly asks.

"What do you mean?" Regina asks in confusion.

"That depends on which question you're asking for." Natasha replies cryptically.

"But you only asked one…" She watches the hero's face, searching for any answers.

"And yet that one question can be used for many different answers. Do you want to stay living by yourself? Do you want to seek out closure with you father? Would you like to know who is sending you money every month? Would you like to have parents again, or have you given up on that prospect completely?" Natasha drills her.

She lets the questions sink in before answering them. "I don't like living alone. But its what I've had to do, so I just live with it. I don't know what closure I could possibly get from seeking him out, except to ask him why he couldn't love me without mom around. I assumed the person sending me the money was a rich uncle on my mom's side, but I don't know for sure. I've asked them to stop multiple times, but they never do. I… I don't really know what it's like to have parents, so I can't say whether I would want parents."

Natasha purses her lips. "Fair enough. Would you like someone to reach out and cut ties with your father?"

"Who would want to? The people I surround myself with don't care enough to do the dirty work I haven't gathered up the courage to do myself." Regina huffs. She finally pulls her attention away from the woman and towards the window, where the city is still flowing by and yet at a slower pace as she parks the car in front of Regina's apartment building.

"I would." Natasha says softly.

Regina draws in a breath. "Why? You don't know anything about me."

"I know enough to see you need people to care about you. Even if you put on a show for the crowd." She has a small smile on her lips when Regina looks back at her. "So let me do this for you. I can deal with your father, and I can track down who it is that's paying for your living, if you'd like to know."

Does she? She complains about it, but she really needs it and has come to rely on that security throughout the years. If she discovers the person behind the operation, will that make or break her trust? Does she really want to cut ties with her father? She never wants to see him, she knows that much. But there is also the tiny hope behind the facade that keeps telling her she hopes he'll come back for her. Even if she knows he never will. Can she handle actually performing the act of cutting him completely out of her life? Maybe doing so will finally help her move on, and become happier.

"Yes. Please do both." Regina whispers, as that's all the voice she can manage. Today has been way too emotional, she can't handle anymore surprises.

"Okay." Is all Natasha says.

"Thank you. Have a goodnight." Regina says quickly, stumbling out of the sports car and making a run for the doors to her building, without looking back. She makes it up to her apartment and immediately flops onto her bed. She allows the pent up tears to finally spill over. First Peter gets hurt. Then the incident with the kiss. And now the emotions of having to finally make a decision on how to handle her family situation. She's never had to live on the edge for so long, and now she feels as if she's ready to just give up her balance and allow herself to fall off.


	10. Chapter 10

Regina's P.O.V.

She doesn't know when she fell asleep, but she's awakened by a loud crashing noise outside her window. She climbs sluggishly out of bed and pulls open her blinds to see a car upside down and in several different pieces. She glances around to see several of the cars parked alongside the road are in pieces. She opens her window and leans out, staring down both ends of the road to see if she can catch the culprit in the act. She doesn't see a person, but more like a mechanical creature. With four metal legs that glint in the few and far between street lamps.

With a shuddering breath she closes her window and shuts her blinds. What is happening? She checks her cell phone for the time to see it's four in the morning. She feels like she needs to call someone about what she's just seen. But she doesn't know who to turn to anymore… Peter is injured. The Avengers just do their own thing. Except now Black Widow is on a mission to clear up her daddy issues for her.

As if in answer to her prayers, her phone starts chiming. Without checking to see who's calling, she presses the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Where are you right now?" The familiar chirpy voice asks on the other end.

"I'm at home, why?" She asks.

"Have you seen the news yet? There's a villain loose on the streets." Bria explains.

"Wait.. What are you talking about?" Regina asks her friend, eyes wide with a concern she doesn't yet understand why she's feeling.

"Apparently there were a few news articles circling around a little while ago about how Doctor Otto Octavius had been spotted around town. He didn't appear to be doing anything malicious though so he was just left alone. Then a few days ago, Spiderman disappeared and hasn't been seen since. So for the past few nights, Doctor Ocavius has been ravaging every vehicle he comes in contact with, and has already broken into a few downtown shops." Bria explains, seemingly without taking a single breath.

"Why is the first I'm hearing about it? Where are the Avengers?" Regina suddenly asks, her concern for the city and the people she cares about growing immensely. She knows what the Avengers are doing. They're nursing back to health one injured Spiderman, and sitting around doing nothing. She knows they must have already seen the news and heard the rumors about the octopus sightings, but if they haven't acted on it already, then they don't care.

"I don't know where you were, but they were showing the news clips and articles at school the first day it happened, and then you were just so out of it Tuesday and Wednesday you must have missed all the gossip about it. They're calling him Doc Oc, and no one is doing anything about it because he's just a minor villain. I mean, the police are trying to stop him, but many officers have already been injured."

She appreciates how her friend just keeps talking, and pays attention to the minor details because she knows they'll eventually be important. That's why she is going to be the one to get close to MJ. "Could you come get me before school starts?" She asks, changing the subject.

"Don't you usually take the bus?" Bria asks, surprised at the question she's never heard Regina ask before.

"Yes, but I need to talk to you about something important." Regina replies carefully, not wanting to give anything away just yet.

"Okay." That's it. No questions asked. Bria trusts her so completely, she knew she would say yes to this request.

For the next few hours, after she had already gotten ready for school, she decides to draw a little bit. And by that she means design the newest invention she knows they'll need since Spiderman is out of commission. Quickly browsing through a little bit of research, remembering some of the facts Peter shared with her about it, and knowing there are many geniuses in the Avenger forces who can pull this off, she designs a new and improved radioactive spider. Or at least what she thinks it would look like. She jots down all of the abilities Spiderman had and didn't have because of the last spider, as a reminder to whoever it is that would build this tiny monstrosity to not get too carried away.

While she works she can hear the frustrated yells and screams of the people coming outside to see their destroyed cars, knowing they'll be late for work. If Doctor Octavius is allowed to roam free, in just a short time, Manhattan is not going to be a happy place to live.

After that, she makes a list of a few of the Avengers with the specialties she knows they'll need, as well as a note for her to call them later, because Tony Stark is just that stubborn. Shuri is already here, and she is one of the key people needed to make sure this works. Checking the time, she knows she only has a few more minutes before Bria arrives, so she looks up a few phone numbers to write beside each name she has listed.

Just as she is writing down the last number of the last number, there is a honking below her window. So she gathers her art supplies, shoves them in her backpack, and races down the three floors to get to the ground level. Within the same beat she is climbing into Bria's mint green dodge charger convertible, and Bria is slamming her foot down on the gas pedal, pulling out dangerously in front of the traffic of non-destroyed cars.

Finally seeing her friend again makes her want to spill all of her guts to her, to tell her everything that's been happening, what emotions she's had to feel, and to tell her that the love of her life kissed her while he was concussion riddled. But she doesn't have that luxury. There is a villain on the loose, and said love of her life is in danger, so she settles on the topic at hand.

"Any new information?" Regina asks.

"Nothing. Though people are starting to get concerned that Spiderman hasn't shown up yet. I bet there are going to be rumors starting up that he was just a fake and decided to skip town, or he's just a lazy hero. Though I guess that's to be expected. People only focus on the negative, they don't care whether or not something really happened to him or not, they just know he isn't here to save their own skins." Bria chatters as she drives wildly. She wind whips her blonde hair around her face and shoulders, but she doesn't seem to care. Regina doesn't know how she manages to drive crazy in such a car, and still arrive at school looking like a model.

"I'll have to agree with you on that. Anyways, I have a favor I need you to do." Regina decides to cut right to the chase.

"Name it and I'll be there." Bria replies, the loyalty and conviction in her tone evident over the wind.

"I need you to track down Mary Jane Watson at school today, and drill her for information about Spiderman and Doctor Octavius. If anyone knows the facts, I'm sure she will since she lives for news stories and gossip."

"How do you want me to go about it?" Bria asks.

"Be nice to her, chat her up. She won't share the information I need if you're mean to her." Regina says, cringing at the thought of her best friend buddying up with her biggest rival. But in order to save Peter, and keep the trust of one billionaire Tony Stark, she needs to pull this off perfectly.

"Okay. Tell me when and where." Bria says, just to clarify the plans.

"Probably at lunch, try to get her while she's around her other friend group. That will put some peer pressure on her because she's one of the only people who would know what's really going on. Remember to be polite about it though." If anyone can pull this off, it's Bria.

Bria nods as she whips around a corner and into the school parking lot, where she eases into a parking spot and the ride is over. "Great, I'll meet with you after school to report back." She smiles, and that's when Regina knows she already has a plan on how to weasel the information out of MJ.

That's when Regina becomes a little bit afraid of her friend. Maybe she should become a CIA agent.. Or gather intel for the Avengers…. She shakes her head. She won't have her friend become a pawn for the government.

She goes through her school day like she normally does, except this time she pays more attention to the face and conversations of the other students around her. Concern, fear, annoyance, anger. These emotions are the ones she sees the most of. No sadness, no mourning. That's a good sign that no one has died. So what is Doctor Octavius after? If it's not killing people… Many people are complaining about how their cars are wrecked and missing their engines or other important pieces. That is definitely unusual.. And a clue.

Regina sits alone at lunch like she used to, before the fateful day in sophomore year when Peter happened to stumble upon an empty classroom, or so he had thought at the time, to hide away and study, just like she had that time. She distinctly remembers him racing in and slamming the door behind him, as if he had been running from someone. Later he tells Regina that he had been running from some bullies. He stopped to catch his breath before turning and then stumbled back into the door when he saw Regina watching him from one of the desks across the room. He caught his breath one more time before holding his hand up in an awkward greeting.

"H-hi.. I didn't know anyone was in here.." He fiddled with his jacket then rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hi. I didn't expect anyone to be here either." Regina responded calmly, taking in his nerdy, yet cute appearance. His hair was disheveled and his backpack was open, revealing the many textbooks and homework folders. "Can I help you?"

A bright red blush spread to his cheeks at her sarcastic question. "Uh.. C-can I just stay here for a little bit?" He stuttered, a trait Regina had found even cuter and endearing.

She quirked an eyebrow at him, but nodded.

"S-sorry. I don't mean to intrude, I just-"

"Are running away from the big-bad seniors?" Regina asked, knowing the group of students who liked to pick on the innocent looking sophomores, just because they thought they were bigger and better than them.

The blush on his face deepened. "Yeah…"

"Feel free to stay as long as you like." She had offered, then turned her attention back to her sketchbook, where she was drawing a landscape of New York City.

"Woah! That looks almost like the real thing!" Peter had gushed. He started asking her questions about art. After that he kind of stuck around, even after he had gotten the girl he had been pining after for a year. Regina had supported him in his endeavors to win her over, but when they had finally become a couple, she had felt something in her chest crack. She didn't know how or when, but somewhere among their lunch chats, she had fallen in love with Peter Parker.

After school, Bria meets Regina at her locker and offers to give her a ride home. Regina agrees, anxious to hear what Bria found out. When they reach her friend's car, the first thing Bria does it close the roof over her convertible. An action that surprises Regina. Then they slip into the car and Bria is on her way to Regina's apartment.

"Okay, so, at first MJ was skeptical because she knows I'm your friend, but like you said the peer pressure got to her. I asked her what she knew about Doc Oc's plans, unfortunately she doesn't know much, but she thinks he's collecting materials for some kind of huge invention. About Spiderman, he was kidnapped by the 'good' doctor on Saturday night, and then was found in an alley Sunday night, but that's all she seems to know about his whereabouts. She thinks Doc Oc had to get rid of Spiderman first, in order to be able to roam free in the city, because he's always been such a fast and efficient hero." Bria reports back her findings.

"That doesn't tell me much, but it could give me a lead. I don't know if it's going to be enough to elicit the help of the Avengers, but somebody has to get to the bottom of this." She mumbles under her breath. "Thanks for your help Bria." She smiles at her friend.

"Hey, it's what I'm here for." Bria grins.

"Instead of taking me home could you drop me at Avenger Tower?" She asks carefully, hoping Bria won't ask questions.

"Sure! You need to get to your internship, right?" She laughs a chirping laugh and makes a scary u-turn in front of another car.

"Yes." Is all Regina says as she whips out her phone and dials the first number on her list for the Spider.

"Hello?" A man answers after a few rings.

"Yes, hello, my name is Regina Davids, and I work for Tony Stark and Steve Rogers." Okay, that might have been a little bit of a stretch, but she's going to need to bluff a little bit in order to get the people she needs. "Is this Scott Lang?"

"Yes, this is Scott." He replies, sounding a little uneasy and confused.

"See, there is an emergency at Avenger Tower, and Cap and Iron-Man need a little bit of help-"

"What's the emergency?" Scott cuts her off.

"I can't say over this cellular device, how fast can you get to the tower?" Regina asks, her professional act slipping just slightly.

"I'll be there by tonight." Scott promises, and she can already hear him zipping some things into a bag.

"Thank you, I'll see you there." Regina hangs up the phone and then calls the next person on her list. She reaches Bruce Banner's voicemail, and leaves a message, similar to the conversation she had with Scott.

"What's going on at the tower?" Bria asks curiously.

Regina sighs and internally smacks herself. "Spiderman is there. He is really injured and kind of not a hero anymore." She speaks quickly, hoping and praying that Bria will drop the subject, yet also knowing she won't.

"What do you mean he's not a hero anymore?" Bria asks, confused this time.

"I think Doc Oc took the abilities that made him Spiderman. He's not Spiderman anymore." Regina says simply. That's all the information she can give her, because she can't reveal who Spiderman really is.. Or was…

"Is that why the Avenger's haven't been battling it out?" Bria asks though it's more like an understanding has dawned on her.

"Yes. And also why I'm still interning. Tony Stark is having me design some inventions, one of which is to give the Spiderman back his abilities so this can all be over. Just a few more days and things will go back to normal, I'm sure of it." Regina states, yet her internal feelings are not as confident as her outer facade.

"That's good to hear." Bria says.

Regina watches her friend. She's surprisingly calm about what's been going on, and she knows a lot. Already more than MJ has yet to figure out, though the reporter still had some good intel.


	11. Chapter 11

Reggie's P.O.V.

In just a few more minutes Regina is dropped off at the tower, and is up to Peter's living quarters in no time at all.

"I've figured out some good intel." She announces as she walks in, and she's pleased to see that everyone is there. Shuri is fidgeting with some gadgets, Tony is staring at some blueprints for some unrecognizable device. Natasha is typing wildly on a laptop she has in her lap. Steve is talking to Peter who is lounging on the couch in an uncomfortable position, at least Regina thinks it should be, but it might be comfortable for him. When she walks in, the brightest smile she hasn't seen for a long time lights up his entire face.

"Hey Reggie!" He greets happily.

"What are you doing up?" She asks, keeping herself at a safe emotional distance. Her mind races back to just last night when he had kissed her. She purses her lips and lightly shakes her head not wanting to think about that right now.

"Mom wanted me to have a change in scenery and to actually talk about things that don't have to do with… with what happened." She watches his face fall when he remembers he's not a hero anymore.

"Well, moms are always right, or so I'm told." Regina laughs, but she doesn't feel it. "Anyways, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I know why Otto Octavius is acting out." She continues, addressing the other Avengers.

"Go on." Steve says, letting her know that she has their full attention.

"He took out Spiderman so he could rampage freely around Manhattan and the surrounding cities. The only way he could ensure he wouldn't be stopped, was to rid Spiderman of his abilities." She states. "Now he's destroying the city, collecting pieces for some kind of mechanical invention, but no one can figure out exactly what his end goal is."

"Wait.. Really?" Peter asks, his expression is pained and sad, because he knows there's nothing he can do about the outside situation.

"So what you're saying is you don't know anything." Tony growls sarcastically.

Regina sighs. "Basically yeah." Better the humiliation of admitting it herself, rather than someone calling her out on it, or worse, calling her a liar. "But I know that whatever it is, it can't be good. I think we should put a stop to it before things get worse."

"We?" Tony asks with incredulity. "There is no 'we' there is you, and there is us. And we don't want anything to do with that." Tony snaps.

Regina blinks, doubling back and struggling to regain her confidence for a second. "Why not?" Regina demands. "There is a crazed villain out wreaking havoc on the city, and we have four heroes sitting in here on their butts doing absolutely nothing."

"Queens is Spiderman's domain, and we don't have a Spiderman right now." Tony replies calmly, pulling up a different design for him to stare frustrated at.

"It's more than just Queens!" She yells. Why doesn't he get it? Everything would be better if they would just get up and take care of the problem.

"The answer is no. So drop it." Tony orders.

"No!" Regina throws her hands into the air feeling dramatic but wanting to get her point across. "People are getting hurt! Doctor Octavius is just doing whatever he wants! You guys are supposed to be the Earth's Mightiest Heroes, but every single one of you is lazy!" She screeches at the other Avengers in the tower.

Shuri shakes her head. Natasha stares at Regina, but doesn't say anything. Steve looks down at the ground, looking ashamed. Peter is staring off into space sadly.

"We are trying to work on a solution to give my kid back his powers." Tony's tone is beginning to sound impatient and more angry.

"YOU are trying to fix Peter, but you're also using that as an excuse to do nothing! Peter can wait, we need to save the city." Regina's words pain even her to say, but it's what needs to be done. Spiderman isn't here, but the other heroes are, and something has to be done.

"Peter is my son. He is my priority." Tony's words are biting.

"Dad, what if I asked you to go?" Peter asks softly.

Tony flinches and grimaces. "I would still say no"

She glares at him and turns back to the other Avengers. "Come on guys!" She pleads with them.

Steve glances up at her, his eyebrows already furrowed in apology. "This guy isn't doing anything to warrant the Avengers." He says softly. "I'm sorry."

Regina's hands drop down to her sides, hanging her head in defeat. "Fine." She says, walking over to the coffee table everyone is sitting around. She pulls her sketchbook from her backpack and tears out the page with the spider on it. She places it carefully down on the surface of the table. "I've solved your problems more than once, Tony Stark." She states stiffly. "I think it's time I start keeping track of the favors you people owe me, because I intend to collect every single one of them." Her voice is low and controlled. "Here is _my_ design of a new spider for Peter. I've already contacted Scott Lang and Bruce Banner." She explains, and with that she walks out, making it seem like she's leaving the building, but in her head, she has a plan, one she doesn't show to the crowd before her. Maybe she should have been an actress instead of an artist. She could have made millions by now.

She steps into the elevator and merely goes down a single floor to Tony's lab. She glances around, making sure no one is in there before rushing over to the table with the half finished suit. With all that's happened with Peter, Tony and Shuri haven't had the time to work on it, but it looks like all the important pieces are put together, so it should be okay to use. She doesn't know who it's for, but if Earth's Laziest Heroes won't do anything, she'll take matters into her own hands.

She slips on the chest plate and fits her arms and legs into the bracers, puts on the gloves and then slides the helmet over her head. As she does, the hexagonal arc reactor in the chest plate glows and then a voice fills her head.

"Good evenin', Miss Reginald." The voices greets in a Irish accent.

"Did Tony tell you to call me that?" She asks in annoyance.

"Nay, but as he is designin' yer suit, that is the name he uses. Would you prefer me to call you somethin' different?"

Reggie's lips twist into a smile. So that's why he had her help with the design, suit colors and tech. He was building the suit for her. So then he won't mind if she just takes it and uses it for what it's supposed to be used for.

She had told Peter she had no interest in becoming a hero, but with how things have changed, and with what she's learned, she has no choice but to take up the title.

"Yes. Call me Reggie." She orders. Regina sounds like a girl who is always quiet and does everything she's told. That's obviously not her, so she decides she needs an upgrade.

"Yer wish is my command." The smooth robotic male voice says.

"Do you have a name?" She asks it.

"Yes. I am called Jameson."

"Listen up, I have some instructions for you. If Tony Stark tries to call me back, using your A.I. program, block him. Also, I am going to need your help figuring out this suit. It's unfinished, and I've only tested out the photon blasters." She explains.

"Very well." The irish man states.

"Okay, here we go." She takes a deep breath. "How do I fly?" She asks nervously.

"Would you allow my program to take over the system for a short time?" Jameson asks politely.

"If you think that will work, go for it." Reggie shrugs.

"Alrighty then." Jameson says and then the suit is lurching up into the air.

"Tony I am not sorry." She says harshly as she flies out of the landing pad Tony has built into his lab.

"Jameson, I need you to track down Doctor Octavius. We're going octopus hunting."

"Scannin' for tarrget." Jameson says. "Target Doctor Otto Octavius is makin' his way downtown Queens."

"Why is he out in the open at this time of day?" Reggie mutters to herself. "What is he planning?"

"Are we doing reconnaissance?" Jameson asks.

Reggie almost laughs with joy at how good Tony designed her A.I. to have a personality. But she decides she'll praise the work later, she's on a mission, and she's mad at the inventor. "No. We are going straight for the source. Now give me a quick tutorial on how to use my blasters while moving. I've only ever shot at still targets."

"The suit is unfinished. The connection between the arc reactor and the photon blasters is unstable." Jameson warns.

Reggie sighs. Of course Shuri didn't fix that little problem, she was helping with the search party. "But can I use them?"

"Aye, each blaster will need to be recharged before they can be used." He explains.

"How long will it take for each blaster to recharge?" She asks, hoping to cover all her bases before she just runs straight into battle without knowing what she's doing.

"About ten seconds."

"How long will I be able to keep up flying?" She is now worried that the suit will malfunction because it's unfinished. But she doesn't regret her decision, she never will.

"You will begin descent once you reach the target." As if to prove his point, she suddenly lurches to the side and begins to spiral towards the ground.

"Jameson can you stabilize my flight so I can at least land safely?" She calls out in fear as the ground becomes increasingly closer.

In response to her request, the suit rights her and she lands roughly on her feet. She stumbles a little bit, but she's relieved she didn't crash land. She turns and finds herself face to face with the Doctor Octavius she is looking for. He stands much taller than her, as he's suspended in the air by four metal legs harnessed around his torso. His hair is dark and stringy and his face is pulled into a tight glaring grimace.

"Good evening." She greets warmly, sounding like an innocent girl, rather than a confident warrior. Either way it's just an act, he creeps her out, chills spread out across her back and arms, and her gut is twinging. With that reaction she's not sure if she'll win this fight or not. But it's not a negative feeling, so that's already a good sign.

"Who are you?" He demands, voice sounding rough and harsh, almost reminding her of someone scraping their fingernails across a chalkboard.

"I am.. A-a hero." She strikes a pose, with her hands on her hips, giving the illusion that she's strong and powerful. Though on the inside she's panicking. She acted on an impulse and didn't think this plan through at all. She's never been in a fight before. All she knows how to do is draw and bluff, and neither one is going to help her help the city.

"I've never seen you before." He hisses. His metal legs shift, sounding much like a sword being unsheathed.

"Y-yes well, I come and go as I please." She replies, feeling and sounding stupid.

"Then why don't you run along, little girl. I have work to do." He grunts and his metal legs shift so he can walk around her.

"I'm afraid you misunderstand. I said I come and go as _I _please, not when someone tells me to. I don't take orders from anyone, especially not some fat octopus who drowned a kid just because he liked to play superhero." She snaps at the man. "So you listen to me, you stop this right now, or you're going to be in a world of hurt."

"If you're going to threaten, you need to have the means to back it up." Doc Oc laughs.

She refrains from shuddering, but the sound of his voice sends chilly goosebumps down her spine.


	12. Chapter 12

Peter's P.O.V.

Everyone is silent as they stare at the drawing of the intricate spider meant to save him. Peter glances at his dad, who is staring at the design with a pale face.

"You realize you two just lost an irreplaceable ally, right?" Natasha is the one to break the silence with a sarcastic comment. "She's been through so much, has felt so many negative things, usually that's enough to create a villain, or at least an annoying antagonist, and yet she is the most loyal person you will ever meet." She closes her laptop, having finished whatever she had been working on. She places it on the table and stands.

"Where are you going?" Steve asks.

"I'm going after her." She replies, saying it like it should be obvious, and that she's not the only one who should be going.

Suddenly the room is filled with a woman's voice. "Jameson has left the building." Friday's voice announces loudly.

Tony's face goes white with shock.

"What does that mean?" Steve asks, eyes immediately flicking to Tony.

Shuri face palms. "She's taken the suit."

"What suit?" Steve inquires..

"Dad and Shuri were working on a suit for Reggie. She took it, because you just told her no." Peter explains, understanding what Reggie must have been feeling, and agreeing with the course of action she decided to take. But that didn't stop him from worrying about her, going to face someone so vicious. Alone.

"Why is that a bad thing?" Natasha inquires.

"Because the suit is not finished, and the core is still unstable." Shuri answers. "She might as well be carrying a timed bomb. If she overexerts the suit, she and everything around her will go up in smoke."

Peter's jaw drops, and Natasha's face goes white as well.

"I have to stop her." Natasha suddenly says and before anyone can react she's in the elevator on her way down.

Peter stares after her, wishing he could go too. He needs to make sure Reggie gets back here alive. "Tony, you're my dad, and I love you, but you're really stupid sometimes." Peter states without looking at his father figure. This wouldn't have happened if the Avenger's would sometimes get off their thrones long enough to cooperate with the younger generation, yet their egos or their morals always get in the way. "None of this would have happened if you guys would just listen to her."

"She doesn't listen to us. She is wild and insane, and I don't trust her. I don't want you trusting her either." Tony's tone comes across as a growl, though it's more like a defense than an attack.

Peter's eyes narrow and finally they find his dad. "She's the one who found me, dad, where were you?. She invented the suit she's currently using. She's the one who just designed an iron spider, because you couldn't figure out a way to return my abilities. What would you do without her?"

"I would get some sleep. I would be stress free. I wouldn't have trust issues." Tony replies evenly.

Peter forces out a fake laugh. "You did all that to yourself. Reggie is a force to be reckoned with, now you have to deal with the backlash of your stubbornness." He shifts from his relaxed position on the couch, gritting his teeth against the pain as he stands.

"Where do you think you're going?" Tony asks, sounding on edge.

"Anywhere but here. I can't deal with all this negativity." He says and grasps his phone from his pocket as he shuffles out of the room. He hesitates before slamming his finger down on the speed dial with the beautiful red haired girl on it, feeling bad that he had kissed a girl other than his girlfriend, and feeling even more guilty because kissing Reggie had just felt so right.

"Hey, where have you been?" MJ answers, she doesn't sound so concerned, more like a passing thought she was wondering where he is.

"Some stuff happened while I was Spiderman and I haven't been able to leave the house. I was actually wondering if you would like to meet up tonight? I kind of need someone to talk to." He asks in a hurry, wanting to get away as soon as possible, and wanting to talk to someone who can understand what he's going through, and give him some sort of comfort. Though the little part of him that has been rooting for Reggie wiggles a little bit, telling him he's not going to find what he's looking for with MJ.

"Yeah, I'll be right over as soon as possible, what floor in the tower?" She asks excitedly.

Peter sighs. "Sorry, not this time MJ. I was hoping we could get something to eat, and just talk."

The other side is silent for a long moment. "Okay, yeah sure. I'll meet up with you at the bus stop and we'll go out to eat." She says, and he can tell her heart isn't really in it.

"I'll see you soon." He says and then hangs up.

A couple hours later they're seated in a booth at a small diner near the tower, with small sandwiches and fries.

"You look awful, what happened?" MJ's eyes flick around his face, eyeing just how beat up he is.

"I-I got into an unfair fight with a villain." He says. Pursing his lips and blinking back the tears he's been holding in since the incident. He made Spiderman his life, his priority, and now that he's gone, he's lost and doesn't know what to do next. "He snuck up on me. I got beat up pretty bad."

She nods in understanding. "But you went back to fight again, and won this time right?" She asks hopefully, and he can see the familiar excitement and questions starting to build up in her head.

He shakes his head. "N-no. I didn't go back- Umm.. I actually- He stole my abilities." He just spits the words out, not sure if he can handle explaining this again.

Her eyebrows furrow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not Spiderman anymore."

Her eyes go wide, then she grabs a handful of her french fries and throws them at him, as she's hoping he'd somehow catch them all with his agility. They just rain down upon him, and he has fries in his lap and on his shoulders.

She groans. "What am I going to do now? What about my news articles, what about my connection to the newest rising hero!"

Peter doubles back. Why isn't she comforting him, or at least trying to reassure him, that's what girlfriends are supposed to do, right? "Is that the only thing you're worried about?"

She glances back up at him. "Yeah, why else would I be worried?"

Hurt stabs at his already pained chest. "Maybe because I almost died?"

"You're here and obviously fine. Peter, you were supposed to help me become the best news reporter there is!" She bangs one fist on the table.

"I thought you liked me, not Spiderman. Is that the only reason you've been dating me?" He asks, but he already knows the answer. He wasn't prepared for her response though.

"You want to be liked because you're a nerd?" MJ's laugh is dry and fake as she continues. "Let's be honest, Peter, if you weren't Spiderman, then there would be nothing likable about you."

His ribcage seems to squeeze all the air from his lungs, and he feels like he just got punched.

"Because you aren't Spiderman anymore, I don't want anything to do with you." She states harshly, no emotion on her face.

This is exactly what he was afraid would happen, if people knew he's a hero. The girl he used to have the biggest crush on, maybe even love, only cared about the fact he was a hero. Reggie was right. Reggie is the one who has been with him since the beginning, through the thick and thin, and unlike MJ, she promised she would never leave him, or use him because he is, or used to be, Spiderman.

He takes a deep breath and stands.

"You owe me for keeping your secret. I will come to collect after everything has blown over and is back to normal." She threatens.

Peter purses his lips and simply walks out. It takes him a little longer to get back to the tower, now that he's stressing out even more. He stumbles into the elevator, leans against the all and allows the tears to finally spill over.

This is too much for him to handle. Losing his powers, and then a breakup with someone he was committed to for two years. Not to mention Reggie is out there in a dangerous situation, defending his honor, since he can't do anything about it.

When he reaches his home floor, there's a new face among the mix. Scott Lang, the Ant-Man is studying Reggie's design, Shuri is still tinkering with some metal pieces and Tony is reading through some notes as well. Steve is not in the room anymore.

He wipes his face and attempts to compose himself.

"Hey guys." He greets.

"Hey Peter!" Scott greets excitedly.

"Any luck?" He asks dully, not expecting them to make any headway on fixing the problem.

"Not yet." Shuri replies in a hollow, distracted tone.

He nods and heads back to his room. He attempts to distract himself from worrying about Reggie, and moping about MJ, by working on the homework he's missed and then playing a game on his computer, but nothing holds his attention for long,so he just settles for laying in his bed, where he falls right to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

Reggie's P.O.V.

She shakes her fist, as if doing so will help her blaster recharge faster. She grits her teeth and looks around wildy for any weakness her might have. Out of the corner of her eye she sees one of his metal arms swinging straight for her head. She gasps and drops to the ground, rolling just out of his reach.

"Jameson what can you tell me about him?" She demands at her A.I.

"He is unstable in the noggin, and his body is weak. Those metal tentacles are bein controlled by his wee brain." Jameson replies, speaking quickly. "The extendin limbs are attached to his waist with a harrness"

Reggie blinks trying to decipher his irish. "Are you saying the legs are connected to his head?"

"Aye."

Her blasters begin to glow again, as she gets to her feet. She makes a mad dash around Doc Oc, aiming for the back of his neck, but as she blasts, one of his metal limbs slams into her, sending her skidding across the asphalt, and her shot missing it's target.

She huffs in annoyance as she rolls to her feet once again. Her suit had taken most of the damage from the road, though her shirt was ripped and her skin had minor roadburns on her abdomen. "I can't get a good shot at him. Those stupid legs pose a big problem. How can I get a surprise attack on him?" She can't hit him head on, he'll block with his metal limbs, she can't attack him from behind, she'll be knocked aside by yet another limb. He also has the unfair advantage of being suspended in the air, so even if she could get close up, he has his arms and legs for a counterattack above her. She can't risk being hit in the unprotected areas of her body.

"What are the odds of me winning this fight?" Reggie asks.

"Things ar lookin bad for ya, lass." Jameson's voice fills her helmet.

"Thanks for your vote of support." She grumbles sarcastically, then she runs to the left, hoping to get a good hit on the front this time. She curls her hands into fists and then flings them open, firing both blasters at the same time. Aiming one for his head and another for his abdomen. She hopes that's not a mistake. His silver arms block the head shot, but she gets the blast at his torso. The force is great enough to cause even his metal suspension cords to stumble backwards.

"Yes! We got a shot!" Reggie shouts, but her victory is short lived as he attacks with a new vengeance. Two of his legs come flying at her. She ducks out of the way of one, but the other grabs at her stomach. The metal claws dig into her as she's lifted into the air. "Let me go!" She demands.

"As you wish." Doc Oc hisses, and his limb raises her higher, winding up.

She finds herself being thrown down the street, the buildings blurring past at what seems like Bria driving speed. "Jameson, flight!" She shrieks.

The suit acts in response and she's being righted up and hovers just above the ground, that's probably as much as an unstable suit can keep up flying. She can almost feel the buzz of the energy flowing through the suit. A dull pain throbs across her abdomen, she's probably going to bruise. Looking up she sees she's quite a ways from her foe. "Yer blasters ar unusable while yer flyin." Jameson explains.

Reggie doesn't respond, but she already has a plan forming in her head. She isn't able to fly and blast at the same time, it has to be one or the other. Blasting from the ground doesn't work, but fighting in the air might. "Get me close to him again." She orders.

She flies right at the evil octopus doctor.

"Flight is failing." Jameson's voice fills her head again.

"Get me right up to him and then switch flight off." Reggie says. That should give her enough momentum for at least one decent hit.

"I guess I didn't throw you hard enough the first time." Doc Oc taunts roughly, swinging another tentacle around to grab at her.

Reggie laughs as she gets right up in his face, pulling her arm back, and then her flight turns off, as she reaches her fist out, landing a heavy hit to his face with the momentum of her hovering.

He swings from side to side from her hit, before shaking his head. She drops to the ground, supporting her weight into a crouch.

"You're going to need to do better than that. One measly hit isn't enough to do any damage." He cackles, his dry voice sending more shivers down her spine.

She flexes her hands again. Her right glove flashes with a brief glow, so she takes it for what it's worth and aims another blast at his face. He isn't able to block this one and it gets him right where she just punched.

That still isn't enough to knock him out though.

"Alright, Jameson, what can we do right now?" She asks, watching the bad guy nervously, she doesn't know if she can handle another hit from his limbs.

"Both yer blasters and flyin are unavailable." He replies.

She groans. That amount of flying must have taken a lot out of the suit. "Why don't you fight me on the ground, you coward!" She screeches at the suspended man.

"We'd then be on equal ground, but it's obvious I'm so much stronger than you." Doc Oc replies.

Reggie grits her teeth. "You shouldn't get so cocky." She needs to stall for the next few minutes.

"Weren't you the cocky one just a little bit ago?" He asks sarcastically.

She purses her lips. Not cocky, confident. "You haven't been able to deal me any serious damage, and yet you look like you're struggling to stay awake." She sneers

"Maybe I should start taking this little fight more seriously." He says as if it's a passing thought.

Reggie internally blasts herself, regretting the way she worded her comment. "Or you could just surrender now. Between the two of us, I'm pretty sure I'll be the one to walk away from this." She claims, trying to sound more confident and strong than she really is. She's actually not as sure she's going to win this fight. If she's able to walk after this, she's going to make Peter give her hand-to-hand combat lessons.

She's pulled out of her thoughts as two of his legs come right at her once again. Reggie dodges out of the way of both of them, and sees a car in pieces a few feet away from her. He must have destroyed it while she was down the street. The driver's side door is missing and the front is totaled. She spots the missing door laying on the asphalt across the street. She makes a break for it, and channeling her inner Captain America she dashes at him and throws it at his back. It finally hits home, right between his shoulders. He groans, shaking his head, where the tentacles connect to him, some sparks fly and the legs creak as they try to move.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" He roars at her, twisting around in his harness he attempts to roll out his shoulders before reaching back back he rubs the back of his neck and then the legs start moving. This time he skitters right at her, now angry that she has dealt some significant damage.

She gasps and rummages for some loose car parts to throw at him. She finds some and launches them but they're small and just seem to increase his annoyance. She climbs over the car and tries to jump out of the way of one of his limbs, but he catches her in the air. The claw bites into her stomach even more and she hisses from the pain.

"Hey!" A woman's voice calls from down the street.

Doc Oc turns to look at her, giving Reggie a good view as well. Natasha stands in the middle of the road, wearing black leather and pointing a gun at him with a steady hand.

Reggie sighs with relief, suddenly feeling like crying. She doesn't have to face this alone anymore.

Natasha doesn't say anything, she just stares him down, and then fires.

The metal hand holding her releases her when he screams in pain. Natasha is by her side when she lands.

"Jameson, how are we doing?" She asks her suit's inner voice.

"All systems ar ready fer use." He replies and she feels the energy in her palms again.

"Do we have enough energy for one huge blast?"

"Aye, but the repercussions could prove fatal." He warns.

"I don't care, focus all energy to the core." She instructs her A.I., then she turns to the Black Widow. "Will you distract him until I can get a good shot?" She asks. Natasha stares at her for a second, glancing up and down as if ensuring she's not too injured before nodding and stepping in front of her.

Reggie moves around behind, eyes finding his back again. A loud cracking sound echoes around the empty street, followed by more wails. At this point the metal legs are beginning to look even more unsteady. Taking her only chance, she activates her chest beam and fries the tentacles straight off.

Doc Oc drops to the ground, unmoving, his metal limbs clatter to the road around him.

"Is he dead?" She asks worriedly. While he is a villain, she's never killed anyone before.. And she's not sure how she would be able to handle that.

"No." Natasha replies. "I would never kill anyone in front of you. I know how horrific and traumatizing that would be."

Reggie sighs with relief, thankful to the hero for considering her feelings. But her victory is short lived yet again. Her vision inside her helmet becomes red around the edges and her chest plate becomes increasingly hot. "Jameson what's going on?"

"The suit is ov'r heatin, yar gonna go up in smooke in ten…. Nine…" He begins the countdown. Reggie shrieks and fumbles as she grabs at the helmet. The reactor core set into her chest plate flashes, a sharp, hot pain sears onto her chest. The blasters on her hands become scorching as she struggles to take off the suit. When she finally yanks off the burning metal pieces, tossing them to the ground, she backs away.

Her shirt is smoking, and her chest is in immense pain. It's not internal so she glances down to see a sizzling hole the size of the core displaying the now red and white bubbled up skin splayed out in a hexagonal shape on the surface of her large chest. The initial core is supposed to be smaller and round, but it must have been heating up at an incomprehensible rate that it flared up the center of her chest plate, burning the shape of the very protective case that was supposed to hold it. She grits her teeth against the pain, trying not to breathe too deeply, or hyperventilate, in an attempt to lessen the chest movement.

The sound of a cellphone going off causes her to jump. Natasha answers.

"I've got her. Octopus is down, and suit is in the red zone." She states without hesitation. "I'll need someone down here to collect the doctor into custody, and someone who knows what they're doing to take care of the suit."

Reggie takes a deep breath to stay calm, and awake, now that her adrenaline rush is fading. The dull throb in her abdomen becomes a shooting pain as her focus turns to where her body hurts. She sits on the ground, leaning against the nearest destroyed car as Natasha mumbles into her phone. She allows her consciousness to drift.

Peter P.O.V.

Tony sets his phone down. "Cap." Is all he says as they both stand and head out the door.

"W-wait!" Peter calls after them. "Is the battle over?" He asks. He's been anxious about how Reggie is doing since she left with the suit.

"Yes, and it looks like your little lady friend made it out alive." Tony replies stiffly as he leaves.

Peter can't help but allow the relieved smile to spread across his mouth. She's safe, and will be with him soon. He can't help but feel the need to hold her, for protecting him, and his beloved city. He's not sure if he should feel this way right after going through a break up with someone he's cared about for the past few years, but right now, he just wants to be with Reggie.

"That girl is strong." Shuri pipes up. "And patient. If I were her I would have punched Mr. Stark in the face by now."

Peter laughs. "This is the first time I'd agree with you on that. I respect dad, but he needs to get his act together, which shouldn't be coming from someone who isn't an adult yet."

Shuri rolls her eyes. "That man is still a child, petty and immature."

"I agree with that statement." Scott raises his hand as if in vote.

Peter shakes his head when he imagines his father figure, fully in agreement with what the african princess thinks of him, and yet with more respect and reverence than she has for the Iron-Man.

"He just kind of annoys me. I think Captain America should be more in charge of things." Scott shrugs before going back to drawing a more mechanical version of Reggie's spider just on the edge of her page. He seems to be working out equations and envisionion how it will work. Peter decides it was a good idea for Rggie to call more than one genius to help restore him, while his dad is famous for his intelligence, he's not so sure Tony Stark would've been able to pull it off by himself.

A little while later Natasha comes through the door with Reggie draped across her back, unconscious. Peter shifts on the couch, making room for Nat to set her down beside him. Her dark auburn hair is matted, like she had been sweating, and she's wearing a black leather jacket, one that looks suspiciously like one of the Black Widow's. Her usually tan skin is looking more on the pale side.

"Is she okay?" He asks softly, suddenly worried as to why she's not awake and aware.

Natasha lifts Reggie's jacket revealing her stomach covered in large claw sized bruising blood blisters, like she had been grabbed roughly and squeezed. Her skin is red, likely with more forming bruises.

"These happened during the battle.." Natasha explains softly, trailing off. Peter's eyes flick to her face and arms searching for any other injuries, but he finds none. He lets out the breath he didn't know he had been holding.

"And she got these from the suit." Nat continues. She turns Reggie's hands over, and he sees the circular burns on her palms. She then unzips the jacket. He watches as she reveals a hole in Reggie's shirt, in the shape of the angry burn on her chest.

He suddenly feels as if all the air has been knocked from his body. He can't believe one of his dad's inventions did that to her. Did he design it so that would happen, because he doesn't like her? That couldn't be it. He did like her at the time of them working on the suit. Shuri had said because the suit was unfinished, she was basically carrying a bomb. He's just relieved it didn't blow up, and that the burns look to be fairly minor.

"She put up a good fight." Natasha says. Her mouth quirks up in a small smile, and she smooths Reggie's hair away from her face. Peter's eyebrows furrow. He has never seen the Black Widow look so… motherly? She leaves and comes back with three ice packs, placing one beneath Reggies back, and then resting the other on her stomach. She places Reggie's hands palms down on that ice pack, and then she sticks the third pack down Reggie's shirt.

"I'll be gone for a little while, I'll take care of you when I get back." She murmurs to the girl, but loud enough for Peter to hear as well. She leaves again.

"Is this the Regina girl who called me?" Scott finally speaks up.

Peter nods.

"She looks like a cool person." Scott comments, studying her.

"She is." Peter grins fondly.

Understanding dawns on Scott's features. "Is she… Are you two…?" He asks slyly.

Peter's cheeks suddenly feel hot. "No. No, no. We're just friends…" He trails off, suddenly wondering at how wrong that phrase feels. Everything about her has always felt right. When he kissed her that just made the rightness, the connection, tangible.

"Ookay." Scott nods, seeming to not completely believe Peter's hesitation.

Peter gazes at the girl laying next to him. For just winning a fight, she looks beautiful and fragile, like if she takes much more she'll shatter. Just how much has she had to endure on his behalf? Or because of him? None of this is fair to her, and yet he can't imagine how things would have been if she wasn't here. He doesn't want her to leave either. For some reason he can't stand that thought. He never felt that way with MJ.. Does this mean he has feelings for Reggie? Stronger ones? Feelings that aren't fake and based on the fact that he's a hero? When did that happen? With some difficulty he props her up, shifts a little bit to the right and then lays her down again, leaving her head resting in his lap.

His dad comes back in. He takes one look at Reggie laying in his lap and glares at the sleeping girl. Peter glares back. "Let's get this party started." He finally says, taking Reggie's spider design from the table. Scott and Shuri follow him down into his lab.


	14. Chapter 14

Reggie's P.O.V.

She opens her eyes to unfamiliar surroundings. Reggie gasps and flings herself into a sitting position before she allows herself to fully awaken, ignoring the soreness in her abdomen. There is a painful pressure on her chest, reaching up she touches her shirt, only to feel the cool metal of a zipper down the center. With numb fingers she unzips the black jacket, and a squishy blue pack falls out, she touches her chest and immediately regrets it as a shooting pain stabs across the skin of her breasts. Groaning she sees the burn again, and is beginning to regret wearing that blasted suit. She blinks and rubs the sleep out of her eyes, then she looks around, now recognizing the Stark's living room. Sighing with relief she flops backward, her head landing on something hard and uncomfortable to lay on. With a glance up she sees Peter leaning back with his head hanging in an awkward position. That's when she realizes her head is resting in his lap. She lets out a squeak and sits up again. When did that happen? What had happened? The last thing she remembers is defeating Doc Oc with the help of Natasha… And then everything after that is coming up fuzzy, like she had been drowsy.

There is no way she could have gotten into that position unless someone had placed her there. There's no way Peter would cuddle up with her like that, so it must have been someone else.. But Natasha was the last person she saw… Her heart can't handle anymore surprises. He can't just kiss her like he did. She can't wake up to him in the morning. There's no hope for her. Not while he's in love with the beautiful and popular reporter chick.

"Good morning Reg-" His voice yawns behind her.

She twists on the cushion, allowing her legs to fall to the floor. And zipping the jacket back up to cover her exposed chest. She grits her teeth, not finding a comfortable position to sit in. If she leans back, the zipper rubs against her chest, if she slouches the skin rubs together. So she blinks back tears, determined to bear it until she can get treated. "Good morning…" She replies awkwardly. Glancing around, she looks for something else to focus her attention on.

"Are you okay?" He asks.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She struggles to keep her voice controlled as she wonders if he can somehow know her thoughts.

"You had a pretty big fight yesterday…" Peter says it like it should be obvious.

"Y-yeah… I'm… Uh, I'm fine." She manages to stutter out, mentally slapping herself for thinking he could read her mind. She shouldn't be allowed to talk right after she wakes up, she's such an open book, and panics too much.

"Are you sure? You don't look fine.." His tone is concerned, and she knows if she looks at him, his face will show just how much he's worried about her.

"Y-yeah… I'm just a little tired, and sore. Ho-how are you feeling?" She asks, hoping to distract him from her.

"I'm fine." He replies, and this time she knows he is. He's not panicked, or depressed. But he's still genuinely worried for her. "Why won't you look at me?" He asks softly.

She sucks in a breath. That's not fair, he shouldn't be allowed to use that voice on her. He sounds like he did the night he kissed her while delusional. "No reason." She tries for a light and airy tone, but it comes out as more pouty and evasive.

"Will you stop lying to me?" He asks, quickly becoming frustrated.

"I can't or you'll know the truth!" As soon as the words are out of her mouth she closes her eyes and shakes her head at how stupid she just sounded.

Peter doesn't laugh. "What's so bad about that?"

She resists the urge to look at him. "I can't handle much more of this." She whispers, dropping her head into her hands, only to flinch back because of the sting on her hands. She drops her hands to see pink, blistering burns on her palms. She sighs. She's already told him she loved him, and then tried to play it off like it was a lie, or that he had amnesia. She wonders if he remembers it happened, yet she doesn't want to bring it up again in case he doesn't. Her chest aches, and she knows it isn't just the burn. "Is Pepper here? I think I need some medical attention." She finally says, deciding she needs a distraction from the emotions, and that she can't handle anymore physical pain for the time being. She doesn't look at the boy next to her, and he doesn't say anything. The silence between them is dark and tangible.

Peter finally breaks it. "Yeah. She's here." Is all he says, then he gets up with a little difficulty, and shuffles out of the room.

A few minutes later, Pepper comes into the living room alone, with a first aid kit. "I'm so sorry hon, Natasha was supposed to take care of you when she got back, but she's not here yet. Let's take a look at those injuries."

Reggie takes off the jacket and then her shirt.

Pepper stares at the burn. "The suit did that?"

Reggie nods, remembering how hard it was to remove the suit before it caused serious damage. "I overloaded it, it was my fault completely. I don't blame Tony or Shuri. I knew the suit was unfinished, but decided to take it anyway because someone had to do something."

"I do think it's Tony's fault. He was so against leaving Peter, he put your life at risk instead. That's not fair to you."

"Life is never fair." Reggie says softly. "I probably would have donned the suit sooner or later anyways, just because it's the kind of world we live in." And she can't stand idly by while people get hurt and the people who are supposed to help them do nothing. Peter is very pure in that sense, that he thinks about other people before he thinks about himself. It makes him a great hero, and yet puts him in dangerous situations often.

"Would you like to get treated at the medical wing?" She asks.

Reggie considers for a moment. She doesn't feel like there is anything too serious wrong with her body. She is just sore and is covered from head to toe with bruises. She supposes the burn on her chest is something to worry about, but she also counters that thought with it's not serious enough to bother a medical professional with. She could be wrong though.

"I have no money to pay for treatment."

Pepper waves a dismissive hand. "No need to worry about that."

"I guess we could get the burns looked at." She agrees, and follows Pepper into the elevator.

They reach the medical wing and Pepper notifies their doctor.

"Why didn't Peter stay here after the attack?" Reggie wonders.

"Tony and I had him set up in his room, Doctor Jonas monitored him for the first few hours, but his injuries weren't life threatening." Pepper explains as a tall dark haired man walks around a corner, Reggie assumes he is the doctor who cared for Peter.

"What can I do for the two of you?" He asks politely.

Reggie hesitates to explain her story, feeling like her injuries are small enough that Pepper could have handled it on her own.

"This is Regina Davids. She fought the villain Doctor Octavious last night and has some severe burns. I thought it would be better to bring her to you, rather than try to treat them myself." Pepper says after a glance at Reggie.

"Come on back, let me take a look." Doctor Jonas gestures for them to follow him as he leads them down the hall, around the corner, and into a room similar to that of a doctor's office Reggie is familiar with.

"Where are you injured?" He asks her kindly.

She purses her lips and holds her hands out palms up, showing him the circular burns in the centers. Out of the corner of her eye, Pepper gives her a glaring motherly look. She ignores it.

Doctor Jonas considers them carefully. "They appear to be superficial second degree burns. I have an ointment that can help with the healing, but it may take some time for them to recover. Is this all?"

Reggie hesitates again before reaching up and unzipping the leather jacket, revealing her torn up shirt.

Doctor Jonas observes the road rash and bruises on her abdomen with growing concern, and finally the large burn on her chest.

Reggie resists the urge to wrap the jacket tightly around her to cover her wounds, to tell him she doesn't need medical help. She could tell by his expression that she does need treatment.

"There is nothing I can do for the bruising, though we may need to check for inner bleeding. The road rash is minor, but it needs to be treated to avoid infection. I am more concerned about the third degree burns. How did this happen?"

"I used an iron suit containing an unstable core. It was the core that went up in flames while I was still wearing the suit. I couldn't remove it before damage was done." Reggie explains briefly.

"Why was I not notified immediately?" He asks Pepper.

"I do not know. Natasha Romanoff was the one who brought her back after the battle." Pepper replies.

"Is it really serious?" Reggie pulls their attention back to her.

"The skin is too damaged for me to prevent scarring. We will have to watch out for nerve sensitivity. I'm not sure of the damage to the tendons beneath." As he speaks the doctor gathers towels and different medicine bottles. He asks her to remove her torn shirt and begins rubbing damp cloths against her chest burn, peeling off the dead skin and cleaning it. She winces and clenches her teeth to keep from hissing out her pain. Just a mere touch sends sharp shocks through her shoulders and neck. She tries to relax, since she can't clench her fists together to have something to distract her from the agony. She's sure she has nerve damage and tells the doctor so. He nods with understanding agreement.

She's faced a man made of iron, a raging octopus, and now a kind doctor. She can handle anything.

He pokes and prods at her stomach, back and arms, making sure no bones are broken and that there is no internal bleeding, then he cleans out the roadburn on her back and stomach and wraps ointment filled bandages all around her torso. Finally cleaning up her hands he wraps them around her palms as well.

"I'd like to change your bandages in two days. Try not to get into another fight so you can recover." Doctor Jonas orders when his treatments are complete.

"Thank you." Reggie smiles slightly, feeling better already, now that her body is bound so tightly she can breathe without feeling the soreness, except on her chest of course, where her skin is completely fried through. She pulls her ripped shirt back on and covers back up with the leather jacket.

The doctor walks them out, and Reggie follows Pepper back to their living quarters.

"Why don't you get changed?" Pepper hands her a dark blue shirt.

No one else is around so she puts it on and realizes it's one of Peter's nerd shirts. "Thank you for your help." Reggie says, unsure of what to do now. Should she go to school? She's not sure if she's feeling up to that task, and Bria might ask her more questions, which she knows she won't be able to answer. She could go home, but that would mean being alone, and for the first time in a long time, she doesn't want to go home to an empty, dusty place. But she also doesn't want to stay here. Her relationship with Peter is becoming increasingly awkward and distant, and Tony isn't even trying to hide his dislike for her.

"Are you alright?" Pepper asks, eyes searching as she gazes at Reggie.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, healing will just take some time. It's just one thing after another, isn't it?" Reggie forces out a laugh, her eyes dropping from Pepper's, so the motherly woman can't see just how close to falling apart she is.

"You know that's not what I meant." She chides softly.

Reggie tries really hard to blink back the tears forming in her eyes. "No, I'm not okay." She finally admits aloud, so she allows the tears to roll freely down her cheeks. She sits on the large couch. Pepper sits next to her.

"Talk to me" Pepper leans forward, gently nudging her to get her to talk.

"A lot has just been happening too fast, and I haven't had the time to let all the feelings settle in." Reggie begins. "I was so scared last night, but I put on a brave face because someone had to." She sobs. "And now I'm really hurt, which really sucks."

"Those men need a good talking to." Pepper mumbles to herself, and then nods at Reggie, letting her know to continue.

"Tony doesn't like me, which is hard because he's so rich and powerful. Everything is getting increasingly harder with Peter too. I love him a lot but I'm just going to stay in the friendzone forever, aren't I?"

Pepper purses her lips, suddenly looking thoughtful. "Probably not. MJ just broke up with Peter."

Reggie's jaw drops. She never thought she would hear those words. And yet instead of feeling the joy she thinks she should, she instead feels dread. "This is the worst possible time to bring up my feelings. I don't want to be a rebound, or some pity date." She groans.

"You know, I don't think you will be. He's not as upset as he should be, having just been through a breakup a day ago." Pepper urges lightly, raising a knowing eyebrow.

Reggie puckers her lips and sighs. She can't believe his mom is encouraging this. If only she had a mom to talk to about this too, just to get a second opinion..

"I think you should go for it." Another voice says from the other side of the room. Both Reggie and Pepper glance up to see Natasha leaning casually against the elevator doors. "You like him, right? I think you should act on it."

Reggie still hesitates. "What about Tony? He doesn't like me so he won't approve of this little detail."

Both of the older women roll their eyes.

"Tony needs to get over himself." Natasha huffs. "Don't let him be the reason you don't go after something that makes you happy. Don't hesitate anymore. Think of this as another battle. One of the first rules you learn in combat, is to never hesitate before an enemy."

Pepper nods, fully in agreement. "I'll knock some sense into Tony. Don't let him stop you. Now go. Peter is sulking in his room." She shoos Reggie away with a wave of her hands.

Reggie sighs again and walks down the hall straight to his bedroom door. She stops herself from knocking on his door, wondering if this really is a good idea. She shouldn't push this on him. He's still healing physically and emotionally from his ambush, and now he's added a breakup to the mix. Yet he still smiled at her when he woke up and saw her this morning, not at all bothered that she had been snuggled up in his lap… What's the harm? It's not like she's about to lay all of her feelings out for him to see. Actually that's what she is about to do.

Her fingers rap gently against the door, and then she waits. There's no response for what feels like forever, and then the doorknob jiggles and the door open just a crack. One of Peter's brown eyes appears through the small opening.

"What do you want?" He asks dully.

"I-I have something to say…" She clears her throat and her gaze drops down to her feet, she feels her confidence slipping, fighting the urge to turn around and run away while she still can. "I ju-ust want you to kn-know that I care about you. Like a-alot… Like… Strong fe-feelings. Like I might actually love you…." She stutters, and the weight finally lifts from her chest, having finally confessed. Though that void is replaced by a strong anxiety that this was a bad idea, and he might not feel the same way. She squeezes her eyes shut, and flinches when she feels a warm hand curl around her wrist.

"Reg, look at me."

She grants his request and finds his face closer to her than she expects. She feels her cheeks heat up at their closeness, and her mind flashes back to their kiss. His eyes are filled with determination, and something she would like to interpret as relief.

"I already know that." He says steadily, more in control than his awkward self usually allows him to be. "Bu-but I bet you're wo-wondering about my feelings, ar-aren't you?"

Reggie's lips twitch, wanting to smile at his adorable stuttering, but she's too worried about what he's going to say next.

"I-I feel the same wa-way…" He closes his eyes and purses his lips, scrunching his face as if he's unable to get the right words out.

She bites her lip, wondering if she should really say this, but she decides to go for it. "You love me too?"

He opens his eyes, and she's almost blinded by the dazzling smile flashing onto his face. "Ye-yeah.. I-I love you too." He says.

Reggie lets out the breath she had been holding because of the suspense, and she allows the smile to finally spread across her features. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear you say that."

"How long?" He asks, now curious, he gently pulls her closer. She wants him to hold her hands, but is also thankful he's holding her wrist because of her new burns, so she decides she can take what she can get.

Reggie shakes her head. "Since before you started dating MJ." She watches his reaction as she brings up his ex, but he just tilts his head, considering this new revelation.

"Really? I really was clueless back then, wasn't I?" He laughs nervously.

"Not much has changed." Reggie jokes.

"Why did you deny it when I brought it up that night?" He asks, obviously referring to the kiss incident.

She internally cringes at the way she had reacted to it that night. "I wasn't ready to confess yet." She groans.

"I was worried about how you'd react to what I did… the ki-kiss, I mean."

She flashes back to her shock and anxiety from overthinking the kiss, unable to come to terms with what that could mean, and why he did it. "I freaked out." She states in all honesty.

Peter blinks back. "Why?"

"Why wouldn't I? You were drilling me about my first confession, then you grabbed me, kissed me, and passed out. I thought you were delusional." She shrugs, grinning now at how ridiculous it sounds when she puts it like that.

Peter puckers his lips. "Huh, never thought of it that way. I was trying really hard to stay awake too, guess I didn't think about the repercussions." He stares into her eyes, his gaze becoming smoldering. "Would you like to try again?"

Reggie swears her eyes almost pop out of their sockets, and her knees suddenly begin to shake. She's faced down a sarcastic millionaire hero and an angry octopus, and a tiny kiss is causing her to shake like a terrified child. And it's not even her first one! He took that one from her too!

He waits patiently, and yet she notices him leaning slightly towards her.

"Umm.. sure.." She says softly and stretches up on her tiptoes to press her mouth to the corner of his before rocking back down to the steadiness of the floor, feeling awkward and embarrassed. "I'm.. I'm sorry… It's just that I've never done this before, and I'm not sure I'm going to be good at it, because you have done this before and…" She trails off as he tilts his head, breathing out a soft chuckle, his hand slides up from her wrist to grasp her shoulder. His eyes are soft as he leans down and brushes a soft, light kiss across her lips, testing the waters before going any further.

Her mouth begins to tingle, like there are sparklers going off beneath her skin. She stiffens, hesitating for a split second before raising her hands to his face, lightly brushing her knuckles across his cheeks and firmly pressing her lips against his. The kiss is short and sweet, and they both pull away at the same time. Reggie closes her mouth hoping the fireworks aren't showing on her face, but sure a deep, scarlet blush is giving her away anyways. Though she's pleased to see that the same effect is happening on his face.

"Well, I'm glad we got that settled… So I'm just going to go…" She gestures back down the hall.

"Yeah… yeah, I should probably change…" Peter waves back into his room, taking a step in that direction.

"Okay…" Reggie turns to leave the tense situation.

But his hand reaches out and grasps her fingers, pulling her against him, and kissing her again. Just a short brief peck, then he lightly pushes her down the hall. His bedroom door clicks shut, and she's left standing there stunned, mind reeling at the fact she had just kissed the boy she's been dreaming of for years, not just once, but three times within the time span of a few seconds. Her face feels hot, and her heart might just stage a jailbreak and pound right out of her chest.

She finds herself stationed at the end of the hall, staring blankly at the surrounding living room.

"How did it go?" the voice draws her out of her silence.

It takes her a hot minute to focus her attention on the red haired woman situated on the couch with her laptop open across her legs.

"It was… It was great.." Reggie explains lamely, unsure of what words to use to describe her experience, yet also not sure if she should say anything to the people she's surrounded herself with. She knows Tony won't approve of this new development, and Pepper will be ecstatic Natasha is clearly rooting for her, but she's not so sure about the other avengers, and who will gossip to who.

Nat smiles knowingly at her. "There's only one thing that will cause a woman to look like that, do I need to say it outloud?"

"No!" Reggie squeaks.

She laughs and gestures for Reggie to sit down. Reggie obeys. "Do you think your relationship will last?"

Relationship? What relationship? They only kissed, they didn't talk in terms of dating yet.. She hopes though. She hopes they'll last, after all their relationship is based on friendship and a trust that lets them tell each other everything, without judgement. At least now that the biggest secret between them is out, and that's Peter's hero identity. "Yes. When we officially define our relationship, I think it will last."

Natasha watches her, and she wonders if the russian spy can read her mind. "If you know you love him, and know it will last, then I support you." She says.

Reggie stares at her, now confused at why she would say that, yet also kind of pleased that she has another person on her side and supporting her. She never knew how much she needed someone's advice and someone's support on an adult level. Like a parent should be. Like the family she's never had. She smiles at the woman with new eyes. Maybe she can nonchalantly ask her questions and treat her as if she's a mother figure. "Thank you for helping me last night."

Natasha's lips quirk up in a rueful smile. "It's what heroes do."

Reggie is slightly disappointed about the generalization, but she sits across from her and presses on. "Do you approve of me taking on that suit?" She asks, testing to see if she can pull this off.

"It's a dangerous job, and I kind of want you to stay places where you're safe. But if it's a call you can't resist, then go for it." Natasha replies, and Reggie wonders if she's speaking from experience.

"Is that what you did?"

"No. You could say I was born into this life, I never really had an option. But instead of being just some weapon, I decided to use my skills for good. First I was employed by S.H.I.E.L.D. but when that began to fall apart, I put all my time and efforts into keeping the stupid men on the Avenger team alive." Natasha sighs and rolls her eyes, though Reggie can tell she cares about her team.

Reggie giggles, imagining how hard it must be to protect them, save the world, and still have the strength and energy to patch them up when the battle is done. "That must be a hard job."

Natasha shrugs. "You get into a routine and are hardly surprised anymore."

"Would you help protect me too?" Reggie asks hopefully, though she's not sure why.

"I would." Natasha vows softly.

"Is that why you went to save me?" She refers to yesterday's battle.

The hero nods. Reggie just smiles.


	15. Chapter 15

Peter's P.O.V.

Peter can't stop smiling. He just got a confession, confessed, got kissed by, and kissed the girl he didn't know he's been wanting. The spark he thought was between him and MJ, wasn't actually real. But with Reggie, the connection is practically tangible. She's not denying her feelings, and she's finally his!

After he changes his clothes with some struggling and pain, he walks out to nothing. No one is in the living room, so he decides to go down a single floor, to see if any of the people have gathered in the workshop.

His guess is right, everyone is gathered around one of his dad's work tables. Reggie turns when he comes into the room, looks at him, glances away, then back to him and smiles. Peter smiles back and moves to stand next to her. They're all staring at a tiny mechanical spider making laps around the surface of the table. A thrill races down his spine. "Is that…?"

"Yes. This tiny monstrosity is going to make you Spiderman again." His dad says.

Peter can't help but laugh with excitement and relief. "Well what are we waiting for?"

"Nothing, let's do this." Tony says and waves Peter over to him. Peter hesitantly touches Reggie's hand, asking a silent question.

A red coloration tints her tanned cheeks, but she doesn't pull away. She tilts her head to look at him and a half smile quirks up the corners of her mouth.

He grins guessing she's still shy, and hesitant. Not wanting to push her he starts to pull his hand away, though she stops him when her fingers curl around his, so he loosely entangles his fingers with hers, as to not put any pressure on her injured palms, and leads her over to Tony's side. His dad doesn't look at the girl, in fact he ignores her. Annoyance flashes through Peter and he decides when everything is fixed and back to normal, he'll scold his dad and tell him to get over himself.

He lets go of Reggie and places his hand palm up on the table. The silver spider cautiously pads up to him, moving back and forth and around his hand, as if testing the safety of the unmoving limb.

While he is excited, a sudden fear invades its way into his head. What if it doesn't work? What if he doesn't get ALL of his abilities back? What if something goes wrong and he becomes a monster? Or some sort of spider-like creature? He looks away from the mechanical arachnid, finding comfort in Reggie's light brown eyes. She flutters her eyes, keeping his attention, and smiles.

"You're going to be a hero again." She says.

He can't help but smile back at her with a nod.

He feels the sharp pinch of the fangs as they sink into the skin right between his thumb and forefinger, and then it's over. He glances at the spider nestled on his palm, disappointed that he doesn't feel immediate results.

"It might take a little while. Give it twenty four hours." Scott says, reading Peter's face.

Tony raises his hand, it's holding a hammer. He pushes the spider away from Peter, and then smashes it. There is a metal whir as the legs struggle to move. He raises the tool again and slams it down once more. There is an audible crunch as the internal mechanisms shatter.

Peter examines his hand. Two little puncture marks are oozing blood. His mom places a bandaid over the wounds. He thanks her quietly, and holds Reggie's hand again, well, as much as it's considered holding.

"Why did you do that?" Reggie asks, surprised at the sudden force of which Tony lashed out.

"We can't have anymore incidents regarding a scientific insect. We don't need anyone else waking up with the abilities to crawl up walls." Tony replies. When Peter finally gets a closer look at his dad, he sees dark circles under his eyes, and his skin is looking a bit pale. All this stress and all nighters can't be good for his health.

"I'll wait a little bit. We'll see how things turn out to be in the morning." Peter assures everyone. A few of the heroes let out breaths of relief and Reggie's fingers lightly squeeze his.

"In that case I'll take your place until then." Reggie offers up. "I can play hero for a little while longer."

Peter isn't sure he wants her to do that. It's too dangerous. But then again, he can't really save anyone at the moment. "Okay." He acquiesces.

"And we have the suit all ready for you to use." Shuri flourishes her hands to another table, where the suit is laying finished and gleaming. A black cat suit with dark purple plate of armor covering the chest and over the shoulders, the hips, and the shins, with metal bracers across the forearms and flight stabilizers down her shins. Peter tries to picture Reggie wearing the shining suit, but can't seem to imagine it.

"So what's your hero name?" Steve asks.

"Why would I need a hero name? I'm just wearing the suit temporarily."

"You still need a name, even if you're a temporary hero." Steve argues back.

"The Ultimate Amazing Spider… Reg." Scott begins dramatically, only to end on a deflated, awkward note. "Edgy-Reggie?" He asks.

"Why Edgy?" Natasha asks.

"Well.. She's cool, and there's lots of edges on her suit… Right Captain America?"

Steve raises his eyebrows, but doesn't say anything as he shakes his head.

Reggie rolls her eyes. "Maybe I should have been around when you people were thinking of names. Ant-Man? Iron Man? For such smart guys, you aren't very creative."

"To be fair!" Scott raises a finger. "I am not the original Ant-Man."

Reggie just shakes her head at him, grinning.

"You already have a name picked, don't you." Natasha states, rather than asks.

"I think I do." Reggie answers softly glancing over at her brand new suit. "I will be Lacuna."

"Why Latin?" The Black Widow asks.

"Because I am the missing piece."

The room falls into a silence. Peter looks around at the faces of the world heroes present. Natasha has her eyebrows raised, Steve looks confused, and Scott just looks scared.

Tony Stark is the one to break the silence. "You know, Cap, I think you've met your match. She's always been this over-dramatic"

Reggie huffs in offense and Peter laughs. "He's got you there."

Reggie turns her glare on him. "I thought you were on my side, you traitor!"

He lets go of Reggie's hand and holds it up in surrender. It felt awkward since his other hand was still in a sling. "I'm just a middle man here. I don't take sides."

"We'll you're going to have to." Tony states. "Her or me."

Peter's teasing demeanor falls when he sees the serious expression. Pepper grunts and hits him over the head with a fist.

He winces and rubs the back of the head, giving her a 'what was that for' glare.

"Don't you look at me like that." Her tone comes out as a hiss. "You had better stop this right now. If I see you even looking at Reggie with that hateful expression, you're sleeping on the couch for the next week, and I will relish spreading out across that bed, by myself, iN PEACE!"

Peter snorts, struggling to stifle the laugh. His father looks so offended and confused at the tirade his wife is on.

His phone chimes in his pocket. He looks at the screen and sees it's a text from MJ. His chest heaves and his breathing comes heavier. He opens the message.

'_Meet me at the school in an hour. Come alone. If you don't show up, I'm going to announce to all of New York that you were the so called 'Amazing Spiderman' and then we'll see if they still appreciate the hero you thought you were.'_

He grits his teeth. He has no choice in the matter, not now that he's about to get his abilities back. He can't believe MJ would stoop so low as to blackmail to get what she wants. She was always striving to be an honest reporter. In doing this, she's just lost that respect.

'_I'll be there.'_

He responds to the text and unsteadily steps away from Reggie. "I'll be out for a little while." He addresses his parents. His mom's eyes narrow suspiciously. He turns away before anyone can guilt trip him into staying, or telling everyone what MJ is forcing him to do.

It is going to be a little while longer before he is himself again, and he isn't going to allow MJ to reveal his identity. It is going to ruin his constant dream of being a hero. He decides he's not going to let her hold this over him, blackmailing him to get what she wants. He would meet her, and then he is going to tell her to leave him alone. He plans to threaten her if he has to. He is determined to protect his family and Reggie from whatever MJ is up to.

Peter steps into the elevator, preparing a plan.

_**To Be Continued in 'A Scornful Spider'**_

Author Note: Hey guys! Thank you so much for reading 'Spider Reborn', I had so much fun writing it! This chapter is the last chapter of this book.

Fun fact: Reggie is based off of one of my best friends. In real life she is not so immature and rebellious, but she is just as sassy and sarcastic. I wrote this fanfic for her since she loves Tom Holland's adaptation of Spiderman. The whole book put together is 40, 790 words! It's awesome and crazy!

I will be continuing the story in the second book called 'A Scornful Spider' and Reggie and Peter's adventures and romance will continue!


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